Château Angelus 2016

Superb black-berry aromatics, powerful, dense, with great aromatic intensity and tension, long, with fresh tannins without hardness; top class.

This goes for the gusto, with a deep and broad swath of well-roasted tobacco, espresso and loam out front. The core of dark currant and fig fruit will have to catch up, but this red has the energy and juicy drive to eventually do so. When it melds fully, this will be a smoky, alluring, tobacco-fueled wine. Best from 2024 through 2040. 8,333 cases made.

A Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the St‑Emilion Classification since 2012, Angélus removed itself from the controversial system before the 2022 rankings. A family estate since 1910, it was managed from 1985 by seventh‑generation Hubert de Boüard de Laforest and since 2012 by his daughter Stéphanie de Boüard‑Rivoal, with Michel Rolland consulting. In 2016 the blend was 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Juicy and fresh on the nose. Power, concentration and structure with a vein of mouthwatering freshness. Needs a bit more time for the edges to soften but shows great promise for a long life. Vincenzo Arnese: Elevated dark cherry, and intense figs and plum. Ripe and warm palate, tannins showing good structure, with liquorice on a persistent finish. Arthur Coggill: Nose of wildfire smoke and steel, sweet plum and damson jam richness, very inviting. Supple with firm but fine‑grained tannins, great structure.

Lovely nose of fresh plum, almond and vanilla. Both rich and firmly structured, the biscuit-like texture married to beautiful ripeness. And this dynamic drives the wine over the palate and off into the distance. So vibrant at the long, stony finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

The 2016 Angélus is a total stunner. Despite its late bottling in September 2018, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Soaring aromatics and layers of bright, vibrant fruit are two of the main signatures in the 2016. The tannins, so often hard in young Angélus, are almost impossibly refined. Pomegranate, blood orange, raspberry jam, wild flowers and mocha are some of the many notes that race through the 2016. All the elements fall into place in a memorable, exquisite Saint-Émilion that is clearly one of the wines of the year. Don't miss it!

With deep color, the wine offers some truffle, earth, floral notes and dark, red pit fruits laced with incense. On the palate, it recalls well-worn, fine hotel linen, with refined, sexy fruit and concentration. There is vibrancy to the fruit and a velvety texture, coupled with depth, complexity, and length. The wine was made from a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. The Grand Vin represents 67% of the harvest.

Deep dark ruby garnet, firm core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fine noble wood aromas, delicate clove and cardamom, floral perfume, fine dark berry fruit, a hint of tangerine zest, very elegant. Substantial and tightly meshed on the palate without appearing too powerful or opulent. Perfectly balanced tannins that gradually intensify, blackberry and nougat on the finish, mineral and long. A Vin de Garde that you need to keep hidden away as it already has so much to offer.

Intense, ripe, dark-fruited nose with gingerbread spices, meaty notes, new oak, black cherry, crème de cassis and smoky tones. Very dense and muscular palate, with plenty of cocoa powder-like tannins, gingerbread spice, smoky notes, savoury and digest, with balanced freshness, modest oak on the finish, and a very long, concentrated aftertaste.

The 2016 Château Angélus is incredibly elegant and finesse-driven, with a soaring perfume of crème de cassis, white flowers, crayon, forest floor, and spice. Compared to the 1996 by the Angélus team, it has a deep, layered style, its oak is beautifully integrated, there are ample tannins, and despite leaning toward the finesse-driven side of the spectrum, it has thrilling depth of fruit and length. It’s a brilliant wine from this estate that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 30+ years or more. The blend of the 2016 is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, brought up all in new French oak.

Kunz barrel sample 17: concentrated, complex, fresh, velvety bouquet; black berries, currants, delicate liquorice, tobacco, mint, subtle eucalyptus. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful, aromatic palate with intense, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a tightly woven, velvety, finely muscular structure, a varied, dense, dark aromatic profile, and a very long, dense, fresh finish.

Concentrated, complex, fresh, velvety bouquet: black berries, currants, fine liquorice, tobacco, mint, subtle eucalyptus. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful, aromatic palate with intense, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a densely interwoven, velvety, finely muscular structure, diverse, dense, dark aromatics, very long, dense, fresh finish. 19/20 2025 - 2048

The 2016 Angelus is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc and has a deep garnet color, with a hint of purple. It needs a little swirling to unlock powerful notes of stewed black plums, blueberry preserves, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to notes of candied violets, star anise, and fertile loam, with a touch of cumin seed. Full-bodied, the palate is rich and concentrated, featuring loads of opulent black fruit flavors sparked by floral and exotic spice notes and textured with plush tannins, finishing with epically long, lingering, fragrant fruit. Such beautiful poise!

Beautiful fruity breadth, precise, sappy length converge into a fully realized complexity.

Sappy and sanguine, straight and vertical, true to its vintage, with oak that is superbly precise and focused. Taut, dense and tangible, built around deep, sensitive tannins; the palate’s progression is clean and refined, shaped by power. The fruit is brilliantly upright and marks a clear step up, especially in this energetic vintage.

Morello cherry, fresh red fruits, a touch of spice and menthol, very expressive. Generous palate, ample, well-structured tannins, lovely crunchy fruit, lots of substance, very moreish. A vibrant wine, very well balanced, fresh and dense.

Purple with violet hues. Intense, complex bouquet that reveals itself slowly. Angélus first unveils fruit and spices, in a filigree, elegant register. As minutes pass, it gains in intensity and complexity. I pick up some blackberries, blueberries, and redcurrants. There are also notes of grilled bacon, cinnamon, and a touch of mint. On the finish, chalky notes are also present and grow in intensity. What strength of character. On the palate, the wine is marked by freshness, joined by mouthwatering notes. The wine has body, pedigree, and tension. The tannins emerge slowly on the back palate and have their work cut out to counter the liveliness of the structure. The crucial point when tasting such a wine is to find its limits and push it to the edge. The tannins and the structure eventually find each other and form a beautiful symbiosis. Nice return of fruit on the finish. Why rate a wine 99 or 100? There is an obvious difference between the two scores: 1 point. How to explain it on paper: it lacks a small dose of fruit and sweetness on the finish. We’ll get there, we’ll get there… while recalling that Angélus 2005 was rated 100/100 by Beckustator ;-) Bravo to the whole team.

The best ever made. As is often the case at this age, I compared an undecanted wine with a decanted one. It shows more openness and is better when decanted. Dark, intense, beautiful, bright, and purple in color. The nose is still discreet, with ripe, suave fruit. Undecanted, it smells more of ink. With decanting, however, it gains deeper notes of licorice and meaty nuances. After a few minutes, a violet note emerges. Ample and meticulous on entry, full and rich mid-palate, refined in texture, suave in its development, the wine builds with density and completeness toward a noble, complex, powerful finish. For now, the finish is a touch marked by this power, but it will meld with time. A Grand Vin.

60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple with a violet rim. Complex, remarkably profound bouquet of blue berries, gradually followed by violets and blackberries, with notes of coconut and licorice. On the powerful palate, it sets off a true fireworks display of blueberries, fine woods, and cherry tobacco, spreading broadly thanks to its tremendous concentration, effortlessly wrapping the already polished tannic framework in its ample extract, with an endlessly long finish. The perfect symbiosis of power and finesse!

97–99. Barrel Sample. This wine is certainly structured, but it is the fruit that gives it its greatness. Beautiful ripe berries and plums burst from the glass. They are backed by ample tannins on the palate, as well as great acidity that gives the year its freshness. It is a very fine wine, packed with fruit and with everything it needs to age for many years.