| “This year we have slightly less Cabernet Franc in the blend because we are only using the oldest vines, planted by my grandfather, as a tribute,” Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal said. “These are 60- to 80-year-old Cabernet Franc vines.” From 2018, 10% of the entire Angélus crop will be aged in large oak foudres. “These produce tighter, more perfumed, brighter wines from less oxygen exposure,” Stéphanie commented. The 2018 Angélus is blended of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, to be aged 18-22 months in barriques, 100% new, plus two new foudres. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips slowly, sensuously out of the glass with beautiful black raspberries, kirsch, warm plums and red roses scents, building in intensity to reveal chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry coulis, black tea, woodsmoke and powdered cinnamon notions with a waft of black olives and charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a wonderfully profound, multilayered, seamless experience of red and black fruits intertwined with earth, spice and floral notions and framed by exquisitely ripe, satiny tannins, finishing with amazing freshness and length. Incredibly, finely, expertly, seamlessly knit. Stunning. |
| Score: 97/100 |
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019), April 2019 |
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This shows beautifully sensibility of generous fruit and soft and velvety tannins with an undertone of chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, pure and supple with a direct delivery of vibrant fruit and real terroir expression. Savory at the end with hazelnut and crunchy-seed flavors. Reality check here. Incredible fruit quality.
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| Score: 99/100 |
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (241), April 2019 |
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Inky core with purple rim. Refined aroma of restrained dark fruit and a mineral freshness even with the evident oak. More oaky on the palate, a touch of char, but much more restraint overall compared with earlier vintages, the restraint coming via the tannins. Power and freshness combined, with intensity and with a big charge of tannins but well handled to balance the whole in this powerful vintage. Needs a lot of time, to unfurl and for the oak to recede.
Drink 2028-2043
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| Score: 17.5 |
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2019 |
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Very gutsy in feel, with lots of tobacco leaf, loam and espresso notes swirling around a core of steeped black currant and warm fig fruit flavors. The muscular finish is a jumble right now, but there's ample acidity coiled within. A wine that clearly wants to stand out from the pack.
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| Score: 95/98 |
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, March 2019 |
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This is a wonderful Angélus with masses of oak and fruit and it can handle this intensity with ease. The power is magnificent and the richness and weight is amazing, too. Considering how tannic and oaky a lot of the other wines are on this side of the river, they could all take a leaf out of this wine’s book because it shows you just how carefully balanced a big wine can be. There is some exoticism here as well as awesome length and this is certainly one of the finest Saint-Emilions of the vintage. I was delighted to taste this wine this year, because I missed my appointment late one afternoon and flew past the following day only to be confronted with monsoon conditions in the carpark and a looming, lengthy drive to Graves for my next tasting only 45 minutes after I pulled into Angélus. So, apologies for my brief tasting note and apologies to the Angélus representative who I almost knocked over on the stairs as I rushed, dripping wet, out of the tasting room. As karma would have it I earned a speeding ticket and a 90 euro fine, on the next leg of my itinerary, for my sins!
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| Score: 19+ |
Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019 |
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