Chateau Angélus - St Emilion 2019

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

Composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Angélus was harvested from the 13th of September until the 4th of October. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of Morello cherries, lilacs, chocolate box and potpourri with a core of Black Forest cake, blueberry crumble, fragrant soil and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the intensity on the palate builds from delicate, beguiling nuances with ethereal weight to a full-on fireworks display of flavor sparks, framed by fantastic freshness and very finely pixilated tannins, finishing long, layered and invigorating.

98 POINTS

James Suckling

Redcurrants, sweet tobacco and flowers with some sandalwood. Very perfumed and floral. So pure. Full-bodied, yet so refined and layered, with a soft, compact palate and a crushed-velvet mouth-feel. Poised fruit at the end, together with fresh, rare wood and a light chocolate undertone to the aftertaste. This is open, yet there’s so much in reserve. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Leave it in the cellar for at least eight years. Try after 2029.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2019 Angélus was bottled in September 2021, later than many other wines of this vintage. This is very precise on the nose, offering blackberry, dried iris petals, a little graphite and a touch of oyster shell, and the marine influence is more noticeable than before. The palate is beautifully balanced, the 40% Cabernet Franc very expressive and squarely in the driving seat. It lends this wine ample freshness and, as mentioned before, makes it stylistically quite akin to Château Figeac. Displaying fine structure toward the finish, this Angélus is full of tension thanks to a pH of 3.60 (previously, it was around pH 3.85, according to Hubert de Boüard) and comes with a very sustained finish. Seriously impressive, though it will require patience.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2019 Angélus has a sophisticated bouquet with extraordinarily pure blackberry, raspberry, inkwell and crushed iris petals scents, like the Carillon but HD in terms of its clarity. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, the Cabernet component steering it towards say, Figeac or Cheval Blanc stylistically. It already feels very harmonious, the satin-like texture is supported by real substance and grip on the finish, perhaps more density than some of its peers. This is an outstanding Angélus, one likely to surpass the 2016, a wine that will give 30-40 years of pleasure, maybe more.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2019 Angélus has a Cabernet Franc-driven nose, touches of Earl Grey and ash infusing the almost sultry black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, taut and crisp, quite a fine arching structure that delivers wonderful tension and mineralité on the finish. Serious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2019 Angélus is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Silky, medium in body and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 is pure class. All the elements come together so beautifully as the 2019 builds with a bit of air. Forty percent of the Franc was aged in cask, an approach that works so well here in coaxing all of the energy of Franc to complement the Merlot.

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

he 2019 Angélus is absolutely brilliant. Rich and driving in intensity, yet also light on its feet for such a big wine, Angélus has a ton to offer in 2019. Red/purplish fruit licorice, new leather, cinnamon, grilled herbs and lavender add striking layers of character nuance. The 2019 is super-elegant and precise, but with all of the textural richness readers have come to expect from Angélus. The blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc quite expressive, especially in the wine's aromatic profile. One of the recent developments has been a move towards a greater use of cask for the Franc, an approach that has so far paid off handsomely. Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal described 2019 as a year marked by an alternation of hot days and cool nights, with the most severe heat in June. PHs were lower across the board than in 2018. I was especially impressed by the No. 3 de Angélus and Le Carillon d'Angélus, which seem to benefit from the strong year and a new winemaking facility dedicated to their production. As for the Grand Vin, well it is truly Grand.

James Lawther MW - Jancis Robinson

60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. Barrel sample.The most refined Angélus I think I’ve ever tasted. Almost streamlined but with trademark colour, depth and imprint of tannin. Pure, fresh and fragrant with dark fruit and spice aromas. Smooth and saline on the palate with real line and length. Pure and precise with no exaggeration but a firmness of structure evident. One of the best from this estate. Score: 18+/20