Château Angelus 2014

The 2014 Angelus has developed with some panache during its barrel maturation and now in bottle, it conveys attractive blackberry, briary and vanilla pod aromas, the oak neatly integrated. It is not the most powerful bouquet that Hubert de Boüard de Laforest has ever overseen, though it offers precision and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, quite compact and linear in the mouth with a subtle oyster-shell note that tinctures the black fruit towards the persistent finish. It is no showstopper, yet there is craftsmanship and terroir expression here and it should drink well for two decades.

This has a dense, muscular core of warm blackberry, black currant and fig paste flavors, shrouded under a cloak of tobacco and loam. Not shy on toast and balanced by a hefty ganache edge, this isn't heady at all, just a terrific expression of the muscular, loamy style. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,335 cases made.

Baked cherries, fresh plums and some sweet cedar notes. Supple and nicely agile on the palate. Great juicy middle and sense of life; it tightens a little towards the end, becoming more focused, mineral and tight. Slightly dry tannins, a little chalky and powdery, give a sense of seriousness on the finish. A touch of heat and spice adds nuance. Feels like it’s missing a bit more consistency between the start and the finish, but there’s a lot to like here.

Ripe damson-plum, candied orange and spice aromas pour from the glass of this ripe and generous St.-Emilion. Impressive tannin structure behind all the richness, with bitter-chocolate and espresso notes at the warm, long finish neatly underlining the ripe fruit. Still so much life and so many years ahead of it. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

The 2014 Angélus is a dark, powerful wine. Black cherry, violet, chocolate, leather, torrefaction and cloves are some of the many aromas and flavors that give the wine its dense, heavily extracted feel. There is no shortage of intensity today, but the real question is whether there will still be enough fruit once the tannins soften. That said, the 2014 opens up nicely with time, so I am cautiously optimistic.

The perfume pops on with tobacco, mint, dried forest leaves, black cherries, smoke and licorice. Perfume: Medium bodied, with a touch of minerality hits the palate before the sweet fruit, dark cherries and chocolate pops in at the end of the finish. Drink from 2026-2044.

50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. From the outset, the bouquet is quite powerful, with ripe, still slightly floral Cabernets showing. Strictly speaking, the plural is wrong here, since the blend only contains Francs. The Cabernet Sauvignon (3% of the planted area) was downgraded into the Carillon. The nose is noble, well laid out, and suggests promising depth. On the palate it demands attention; the tannins show slightly sinewy muscle, and the aromatics feature cassis and black cherries. The finish reveals fine smoky notes and licorice. The raw structure is very good. Now it needs the fat from the barrique to provide the necessary wrap. Unfortunately, at this price point, there are more and more alternatives. And that now annoys even the most die-hard Angélus fans.

50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. At first, the bouquet is quite powerful; you sense the ripe, still slightly floral Cabernets. Strictly speaking, the plural is incorrect here, since the blend contains only Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon (3% of plantings) was downgraded into Carillon. The nose is noble, nicely laid out, and hints at promising depth. On the palate, it is demanding; the tannins show slightly sinewy muscle, the aromatics feature cassis and black cherries, and the finish shows fine smoky notes and licorice. The framework is very good. It now needs the fat of the barrique to provide the necessary wrap. Unfortunately, price-wise there are more and more alternatives. And that now annoys even the most die-hard Angélus fans.

(50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc) Mineral, dense, deep, complex bouquet, blueberries, black berries, tobacco, noble woods, truffle, graphite. Dense, elegant, powerful palate with velvety fruit, plenty of fine tannins, varied, concentrated aromatics, very long, dense finish with lots of lingering flavors. 18/20 2024 - 2040

Just gorgeous, this is softening and settling in, unpeeling to showcase tobacco and black truffle with the smoked gourmet opulence of Angélus. The blackberry and raspberry fruits expand to fill the mid palate, and are filled with bitter orange peel and warming spices. Tannins still exerting plenty of control, giving boost and momentum, just showing the very first hints of tipping towards tertiary, although with decades ahead of it. Delicious, welcoming, drawn out. Harvest October 2nd to 22nd.

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Angelus bursts on the scene with bold suggestions of baked plums and blackberry preserves followed by hints of sandalwood, cigar box, and cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with great tension to lend lift though the long earthy finish. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

In 2014, the Cabernet Francs, which account for half of the blend of this great wine, bring both a fresh lift and an elongated tannic drive, offering a brilliant contrast with the wine’s spherical, full-bodied amplitude. The aromatic range of black fruits, sweet spices and pencil lead becomes increasingly refined. It is unquestionably one of the greatest wines of the vintage.

An intriguing, contemplative nose of late-summer flowers, warm earth, olive pit, and then on the palate, an intoxicating core of fruit—fresh, intense—vibrating with acidity and aromatic concentration. This wine has a long life ahead of it.

Garnet red. A bouquet of fine intensity with aromas of blackcurrant and morello cherry, with a touch of caramel and dark chocolate. The attack is pleasant and silky. The palate has lovely density, giving it a creamy, supple feel. The tannins emerge very slowly on the finish. They have enough substance to mesh with the acidity. The wine needs time to blossom but already shows great promise. Persistent finish. A great success. Bravo.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. A great, complex, powerful nose, fruity and slightly smoky, reminiscent of Mouton. A very original floral touch for the cru. A melting, airy, juicy, and noble palate, both in feel and texture. The wine melts away to a long finish with almost buttery notes. An astonishing and rather magical progression, with plenty of flavor. The novelty is that this wine finishes on floral notes. Aging time: 21 months. A great success. Note that decanting gives it greater breadth.

96–98. Barrel Sample. This is a beautifully perfumed wine that shows style and elegance as well as rich, weighty blackberry fruit. The blend's 50% Cabernet Franc gives tense, dark structure as well as aromatic character. It is a big wine, but with freshness and style.