Chateau Angelus   Angelus

2018 Angelus

By Chateau Angelus

2018 Angelus from Chateau Angelus, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux

The distinguished 2018 Angelus from Chateau Angelus represents a vintage of nuanced grandeur amid the rolling vineyards of Saint-Émilion. Three decades have seen me weave through the labyrinth of Bordeaux's epochs, and the 2018 vintage stands as a testament to the resilient spirit of this terroir.

 

A Vintage to Remember: The Prestigious 2018 Angelus

The vintage of 2018 in Saint-Émilion was one celebrated for its chiaroscuro of climatic drama, which ultimately conceded to a bountiful harvest. The diligent vigneron at Chateau Angelus deftly navigated these conditions, producing wines resplendent with structure and complexity. This laudable pliancy is etched within every sip of the 2018 Angelus, whose robust frame promises a remarkable journey of maturation.

Dense and vivid, this wine unfolds with opulent layers of black cherry and plum fruit, interspersed with an undercurrent of wet stone and autumnal leaves. It's a tapestry that beguiles the senses, incorporating traces of spice box and graphite, leading to an exquisitely tailored finish.

 

Investing in Liquid Elegance: The 2018 Angelus from Chateau Angelus

The intersection where crafted winemaking meets strategic investment is profoundly exemplified by the 2018 Angelus. For caretakers of fine-wine portfolios, this offering from Chateau Angelus delivers on both fronts: a sumptuous experience for the oenophile and the stalwart buoyancy sought by collectors and investors alike. The sheer intensity balanced with precise tannic texture heralds a longevity that ensures bright prospects for its intergenerational heft.

In conjunction with Bordeaux’s storied landscape and ageworthy merit, the 2018 Angelus from Chateau Angelus showcases a compelling dialogue between force and finesse. A reflection of its exceptional provenance—Saint-Émilion’s prestigious limestone plateau—it unfurls as a wine resolutely stitched into the grand tapestry of vinicultural excellence. As contemporary vintages vie for position, this poised specimen undoubtedly secures its place among venerated holdings, biding its time to transcend expectations in coming years.

Current market price

$4,380.00

12x75cl

Highest score

99

POP score

137.89

Scores and tasting notes

99-100

This shows beautifully sensibility of generous fruit and soft and velvety tannins with an undertone of chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, pure and supple with a direct delivery of vibrant fruit and real terroir expression. Savory at the end with hazelnut and crunchy-seed flavors. Reality check here. Incredible fruit quality.

James Suckling - jamessuckling.com - April 2019

98

This is rich and complex from the very first nose, showing dense brambled fruit with real precision of expression. After a few minutes the aromatics explode, leaping out of the glass and giving an extra level of enjoyment to the wine. In the mouth, lovely vibrant tannins grip without any sense of urgency, joined by curls of woodsmoke and salt taffy through the finish. It's gorgeous and will make you smile with its mouthwatering finish. Only the oldest Cabernet Francs, aged between 60 and 80 years, went into the grand vin in 2018, meaning a little less Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual. But these old vines, planted by Stephanie de Boüard's grandfather, are rich in flavour and give saline emphasis to the finish. It's the first year that they have worked entirely organically, with a 32hl/ha yield from the harvest, which ran from 24 September to 11 October. A cold soak before fermentation was used to extract the colour and fruit flavours without too much tannin. The wine is aged in 100% oak barrels and, for the first time, a few amphorae.

Jane Anson - Decanter - April 2019

97-100

This year we have slightly less Cabernet Franc in the blend because we are only using the oldest vines, planted by my grandfather, as a tribute, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal said. “These are 60- to 80-year-old Cabernet Franc vines.” From 2018, 10% of the entire Angélus crop will be aged in large oak foudres. “These produce tighter, more perfumed, brighter wines from less oxygen exposure,” Stéphanie commented. The 2018 Angélus is blended of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, to be aged 18-22 months in barriques, 100% new, plus two new foudres. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips slowly, sensuously out of the glass with beautiful black raspberries, kirsch, warm plums and red roses scents, building in intensity to reveal chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry coulis, black tea, woodsmoke and powdered cinnamon notions with a waft of black olives and charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a wonderfully profound, multilayered, seamless experience of red and black fruits intertwined with earth, spice and floral notions and framed by exquisitely ripe, satiny tannins, finishing with amazing freshness and length. Incredibly, finely, expertly, seamlessly knit. Stunning.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 23rd April 2019

97

The 2018 Angélus is blended of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, aged mainly in oak barriques, 100% new, plus two new foudres. Deep garnet-purple in color, it struts flamboyantly out of the glass with stylish scents of black raspberries, boysenberries and Black Forest cake, plus nuances of rose oil, forest floor, dusty soil and cinnamon toast with a hint of cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate is carrying a little new oak at this youthful stage, framing the generous red and black fruits along with ripe, plush grape-skin tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy. Give it 5-6 years in cellar for everything to marry, then drink it over the next 20+ years.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 31 March 2021

95-98

The 2018 Angélus is a fabulous wine from the de Boüard family. Often much more severe when it is young, the 2018 possesses stunning depth and remarkable finesse. I don't think I have tasted a young Angélus with this much finesse. In this vintage, Angélus is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, which is to say more Merlot and less Franc than in the past, which may or may not represent more of a longer term shift. To be sure, the 2018 is glorious, with generous, pliant fruit and silky tannins that add to its considerable allure. Crème de cassis, new leather, spice and licorice build into the striking finish. What a wine.

Antonio Galloni - Vinous - April 2019

95-98

Very gutsy in feel, with lots of tobacco leaf, loam and espresso notes swirling around a core of steeped black currant and warm fig fruit flavors. The muscular finish is a jumble right now, but there's ample acidity coiled within. A wine that clearly wants to stand out from the pack.—J.M.

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator - April 2019

Vintage performance