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Colour
Red
Vintage
2009
Producer
Chateau Angelus
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub Region
St Emilion
Product code
23ANG1B2009
Grape Variety
Merlot /Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes
Robert Parker
Score: 96-100 Robert Parker"I tasted this three separate times, and on two occasions I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine. The home estate of Hubert de Bouard, this 62+ acre vineyard produced a 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc blend in 2009, with yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, and a whopping alcohol degree of 14.5%. Of course, the latter component is not even noticeable, as that is one of the erroneous myths about high alcohol in some 2009 Bordeaux. It just doesnêt show, thanks to the wineês extraordinary concentration. This is a fabulous wine, with that tell-tale, dense, inky blue color that Angelus always seems to achieve. It displays an extraordinary nose of acacia flowers (or is it violets?) intermixed with blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, incense, and graphite. Full-bodied, viscous, with great intensity , vibrancy, and transparency, this is one of the all-time great wines from Angelus and a 21st century version of their 1989 and 1990. It should drink well for 20+ years ? at the very minimum."
Jancis Robinson
Score: 18- Points"Very dark crimson. Rather animal on the nose. Thick and sweet but with generosity. Broad and jewelly. Shame we were not allowed to taste it blind with the other grands crus class?es. Awfully sweet and concentrated, not relaxed, lots of dryness on the finish, revitalising. Hint of cocoa. Drink 2016-2030"
Wine Spectator
Score: 94-97 PointsConcentrated aromas of boysenberry and raspberry jam. Full-bodied and powerful, with beautiful fruit-coated tannins and a long, spicy, rich aftertaste. All there for a top vintage from Angelus.
Bibendum
Score: 17.5 PointsQuite closed on the nose but revealing a mass of spicy plum fruit on the palate. Dry and ripe with a hint of bitterness and huge, mouth-filling tannins. Intense and backward with slightly suppressed fruit, this has the stuffing to cellar extremely well. Drink From: 2018
Producer Information
Once called Chateau L'Angelus, now simply Chateau Angelus, this St Emilion Bordeaux estate has, under the tenure of Hubert de Bouard de Laforest been in the ascendant. With investment in the chai (cellar) and improved viticultural practices in the vineyard, the wines of Angelus have displayed a tangible escalation in quality in recent vintages. Fertilisation is organic rather than chemical, there is grass covering between the rows of vines, and there is much focus of preserving the health of the soil, ensuring that it remains rich with a diverse array of microbial life. In 1987 a second wine, Carillon d'Angelus, was introduced. The vineyards total 23 hectares; consisting of the clay and limestone typical of the region. The vines are 51% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, with a tiny 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. The successes resulted in the chateau's elevation from Grand Cru Classe to Premier Grand Cru Classe B status in 1996. With continued success, Angelus is surely a front-runner for future elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classe A alongside only Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone.
