Château Angelus 2023

Gorgeous nose, floral and scented with roses and violets, expressive strawberries and raspberries and some herbal elements. Full and filling, but soft and smooth, almost crushed velvet in texture. It’s not so tense and straight but has a solid backbone of freshness and plush fruit while staying very cool. It’s more on the structured side than overt acidity, serious yet still with crunchy blueberries, chalky blackcurrant, and lots of graphite and minerality on the finish. Less fruit-forward than some but layered with complexity—a subtle opulence. Fleshy, ripe tannins with mouthwatering acidity add a serious edge. It’s missing that Angelus hug on the mid-palate, but I like it a lot and you can’t fault the refinement and precision on show. It’s got body, length, tannins, crunch, freshness, and a vein of minerality underpinning the expression. pH 3.65. Harvest September 14 to October 1.

The 2023 Angelus is seriously impressive. Readers will find a wine of notable textural intensity and resonance. Dark-fleshed fruit, new leather, lavender and dried herbs race across the palate. The 2023 is pliant and expansive, with gorgeous mid-palate depth and a long, sustained finish. It was an unusual year, one marked by an early harvest for the Merlots and a late harvest for the Francs. The Merlot saw 70% new wood, while the Franc was aged in equal parts foudre and smaller French oak barrels, some new, some once-filled. This is an important vintage for the Grand Vin.

The gorgeous expression of Angelus delivers a core of sweet, vibrant, elegant fruit with a beautiful sense of purity, accompanied by its racy freshness. The long, intense, balanced finish is packed with nuances of espresso, chalk, crushed stone, cherries, plums, and cocoa. There is depth and concentration, as well as a lingering sweet red-berry, spice, mint, and floral endnote that entices you to take another sip. The Cabernet Franc makes a strong impression in 2023. The wine blends 60% Merlot, with 40% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029-2060.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Finely spiced black cherries, blackberries, a hint of fine oak, light floral nuances, candied orange zest. Complex, juicy, elegant with fine tannins, good freshness, pronounced fruit on the finish, mineral and long-lasting, a taut food wine full of finesse with good ageing potential. Opens a new, delicious chapter for Angelus in terms of style.

Cocoa bean, liquorice, pomegranate, smoked earth, sage, anise, fennel, slate-like tannins, this combines nuanced and sinewy tannins with a generous, supple expansion through the palate, building in power and impact. Beautifully fragrant, measured and skilful. 50% in foudres for Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak for the Merlot. Harvest September 14 through to October 1, Benjamin Laforest winemaker, Stephane de Boüard-Rivoal owner.

The clarity and definition of the bouquet say a lot about its ambitions! The wine isn’t looking for showiness; it is devoted to finesse and depth, and Cabernet Franc clearly plays its part. On the palate, finesse remains the guiding thread, closely followed by power. All of this naturally leads to elegance, to a restrained brightness, to a composed expression with fascinating harmony. A conquering Angélus, subtly muscular, with the charm needed for youthful enjoyment and the structure required for long ageing. The latter is driven by a structuring acidity and powerful, perfectly integrated tannins that go hand in hand with freshness. Everything is about balance, detail, and the coherence of every element present. A linear, mouth-watering Angélus with an incisive touch that can be enjoyed for a long time—and above all, at any time!

A lovely fresh, fruity nose—precise, drawn out, nicely complex—offering depth, an infusion-like character and a real three-dimensional feel. Notes of boysenberry, plump/gourmet small berries and, more lightly, fleshy, juicy strawberry mingle with touches of juicy roasted fruit, hints of violet and blueberry, plus a touch of cherry blossom, graphite, toast and nutmeg. The palate is fruity, nicely fresh, indulgent and well-balanced, with suppleness, fine definition, a certain creamy freshness, brightness, juiciness, precision and an elegant concentration, along with a pleasingly extended, thread-like feel (in finesse). Lift, brilliance and lovely purity. On the palate, the wine shows creamy blackcurrant and creamy blackberry, and more lightly juicy roasted cherry, alongside touches of vibrant small blue fruits, a hint of creamy blue plum, tonka bean and sweet blond tobacco, as well as fine touches of cardamom and a subtle note of toast. The tannins are sapid, mellow and deliciously moreish. Very fine length.

96-98. Barrel Sample. Tobacco, spice and licorice aromas set the scene for an impressive, dense and solid wine. It has power—layers of black fruits and tannins producing a wine in total harmony. This is for serious aging.

Dark-fruited nose: blackberries, blackcurrant, cherries, a cool expression; with air, violet, lavender, cold fireplace. On the palate it is dense, compact, straight and fresh; pronounced tannins give structure, the oak is perfectly integrated, the fruit is crisp and juicy, in harmony with the tannic framework. The finish is juicy, wonderfully fresh, with very good length.

Logo on the cork: an A in a circle (Amorim) Dark, intense, beautiful colour. Very aromatic nose, fine, pure and fruity. Supple on the attack, particularly flavourful on the mid-palate, with plenty of taste and a fine creamy texture that glides across the palate; the wine finishes long with complex flavours and very velvety, well-integrated tannins. Hints of truffle and raspberries linger on the finish. Superb!

The 2023 Angélus has turned out very well in bottle, confirming the expectations formed at the en primeur stage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark wild berries, flowers and spices, subtly framed by toast, it is medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and ample, built around a lively core of fruit and framed by powdery, sweet tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. The harvest took place between September 14 and October 2.