Winery: Chateau Angelus

Country / Region: France / Bordeaux

Date Winery was established: 1909

Alcohol / Volume: 13.5% / 750ml

Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

First Vintage released: 1927

Ratings: 94pts Wine Enthusiast

Good to know: The château was so named because of the presence of church bells that could be heard chiming from the original plots of vineyards, amplified by the natural amphitheater the hill of Saint-Émilion creates.

In 1996, Château Angélus, which had been classified as a Grand Cru Classé in the Saint-Émilion Classification of 1954, was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé. In 2012, the château was promoted once again to the top rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé A, joining only three others, châteaux Ausone, Pavie and the famous Cheval Blanc.

The Château Angélus grand vin is made of a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and is aged in new oak for 18 months. It then spends at least five years in bottle before it is released, but can be aged for much longer.

Château Angélus 2013 is a remarkably poised and refined expression of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (Premier Grand Cru Classé A), demonstrating exceptional viticultural discipline and selection in a challenging, cooler vintage. Sourced from the estate’s prized south-facing amphitheater on clay-limestone and clay-sandy hillside soils, it is shaped by a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, aged for 20 to 22 months primarily in fine-grained French oak barrels with a portion of the Cabernet Franc matured in large oak foudres. The nose is fresh, perfumed, and nuanced, revealing aromas of wild raspberries, red cherries, and cassis interwoven with violet petals, tobacco leaf, cedar, delicate woodsmoke, and wet graphite. On the palate, it trades opulent weight for classical tension and elegance, featuring a supple, medium-bodied core of bright red and dark fruit supported by sleek, cashmere-textured tannins and a brisk spine of acidity, cruising into an expansive, savory, and chalky-mineral finish marked by lingering touches of spice and crushed herbs.