St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

Blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, deep Ruby red color with aromas of dark fruits, smoke, spice and earthy herbs. On the palate flavors of blackberry, currants, black cherry, smoky tobacco, cacao and leafy herbs. Fine polished tannins, long finish ending with fruit, cacao, spice and earthy mineral notes. Needs some bottle time.

The 2019 Angélus has a Cabernet Franc-driven nose, touches of Earl Grey and ash infusing the almost sultry black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, taut and crisp, quite a fine arching structure that delivers wonderful tension and mineralité on the finish. Serious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023)

The 2019 Angélus was bottled in September 2021, later than many other wines of this vintage. This is very precise on the nose, offering blackberry, dried iris petals, a little graphite and a touch of oyster shell, and the marine influence is more noticeable than before. The palate is beautifully balanced, the 40% Cabernet Franc very expressive and squarely in the driving seat. It lends this wine ample freshness and, as mentioned before, makes it stylistically quite akin to Château Figeac. Displaying fine structure toward the finish, this Angélus is full of tension thanks to a pH of 3.60 (previously, it was around pH 3.85, according to Hubert de Boüard) and comes with a very sustained finish. Seriously impressive, though it will require patience. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)