Château Angelus 2005

The Château Angelus 2005 has a powerful bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, freshly cut violets and minerals, all very well defined and poised. The palate is full-bodied with pure, quite toasty and slightly lactic black fruit. There is great depth here, immense density, and yet it keeps control and focus right to the finish. Perhaps it does not quite possess the precision of the Canon ’05, but it is still a deeply impressive wine from Hubert de Bouard.

Black-purple in color, with coffee, blackberry and currant on the nose. Full-bodied, with super-velvety tannins and a long aftertaste of toasty oak and ripe fruit. Very close to the 2000. Superb. Best after 2018. 7,000 cases made.

This blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc fermented to 14.5% alcohol and was matured in new casks. The result is arresting, with dark blackberry, plum and fig fruit accented by hints of leather, smoke and earth. The texture on the palate is dense and full-bodied, with plenty of tannic grip and impressive length. It is a brooding, somewhat reserved wine that won many admirers, though the weight and heft could be daunting to others—a bit rich for my taste.

Beautifully focused notes of figs and ripe fruit on the nose, this is very perfumed. A lot of material in this wine, the center palate is incredible, lasting for minutes. This is full-bodied and super silky with fine tannins. A pinpointed ball of fruit, think lychee, and hints of chocolate on the finish. Leave this for six to eight years, should be about right in 2018.

Tasted blind. Mid glowing crimson. Fresh but not intense nose. Sweet, fresh and rich on the palate. Lots of pleasure here with the fruit counterbalancing the tannins. Very vivacious. Still youthful. (JR)

The 2005 Angélus is a gorgeous wine. Inky red fruit, mocha, espresso, dried flowers and iron give this potent, explosive Saint-Émilion tons of richness. The style is dense and heavily extracted — as was the norm at the time — and yet the 2005 is impeccably balanced. This is a magnificent showing from Hubert de Boüard, who has done so much to elevate the status of this once under-achieving property.

Sexy, sensuous, refined and with textures best described as cashmere, the aromatically intense experience offers espresso, licorice, smoke, exotic spices, plums and black cherry. Powerful yet silky, with a polished velvet finish, another 5–8 years will allow this stunner to really strut its stuff.

The 2005 Château Angélus has been absolute pure perfection every time I’ve been lucky enough to taste it, surpassing the 1990 and rivaling the 2009 and 2018. Based on 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, it has a dense ruby/plum hue to go with mammoth aromatics of red and black currants, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, truffle, and smoke. Incredibly concentrated, full-bodied, and massively endowed, it has beautiful tannins and flawless balance. While I certainly appreciate the slightly more dialed-back, finesse-driven style of Angélus today, tasting this sensational, singular beauty makes me miss this powerful, more opulent style.

Dark purple with black highlights. Intense bouquet with plenty of black cherries, smoky notes, black olives, and floral spice. Juicy on the palate, well-supported tannins, mulberries and blackcurrant, smooth, surprisingly refined yet powerful, with a rarely seen longevity thanks to the large proportion of very ripe Cabernet Franc.

Dark purple with black highlights. Intense bouquet, plenty of black cherries, smoky notes, black olives, and floral spice. Juicy palate, well‑supporting tannins, mulberries and blackcurrant, smooth, surprisingly refined yet powerful. Just at the starting blocks, and thanks to its large proportion of very ripe Cabernet Franc, it offers a rarely seen longevity guarantee. 07: Since I tasted more than 10 Saint‑Émilions at the same time, you can tell this is a massive, demanding bulldozer. Almost a dramatic monster with plenty of backbone and tannin. The Angélus will be put to a severe test and may require more patience than some wine geeks are willing to invest. In terms of concentration, this is the most massive Angélus so far. Will it, in about 10 years, be as enjoyable as the other greats? 08: A powerful, unapproachable chunk. (19/20). A huge package of plum and cassis on the nose, showing a tender, playful note of chocolate and mint. In the meantime, the palate has become extremely refined, with lots of dark chocolate in the extract and vanilla bean. A rich Angélus with tannins still a bit brittle. The rating now stands at 19.49. Will it be rounded up soon?

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2005 Angelus is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It needs a fair bit of patient swirling to unlock notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, fruitcake, and cigar box, plus suggestions of licorice and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate is concentrated with black fruit and exotic spice layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a long-lingering aniseed note.

The best Angélus of contemporary history (and certainly of history, period): deep color, distinguished nose, great harmonious volume, ultra-silky texture, great refinement, brilliant length.

Logo on the capsule: inverted T (Trescases) Faulty bottle Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity, with vanilla notes and a hint of oak. Round, juicy, friendly, tasty palate, but a bit simple in its progression and on the finish. Unfortunately below the previous tasting. Variations from one bottle to another.

93-95 Barrel sample. A spicy, densely sweet wine, all ripe purple fruits bursting out of a straitjacket of tannins, with the wood flavors quite dominant at this stage. The wine is firm, but the fruit is so big that the dryness is lost.