Angélus - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2015

The Wine Independent

98

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe2/7/2024

The 2015 Angelus is Stephanie de Bouard-Rivoal’s first vintage as CEO. It is a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc and has a deep garnet color. It sashays out of the glass with gloriously opulent notes of Indian spices, sandalwood, and dried roses, with a core of stewed black and red plums, kirsch, and dark chocolate, plus a waft of licorice. Full-bodied, the palate is still tightly wound, delivering beautifully ripe, silt-like tannins and great freshness to frame the generous black and red fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed.

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe7/10/2019

The 2015 Angélus has a calm, cool and collected bouquet of tightly wound black fruit that unfurls with aeration to reveal blackberry, gravel and pencil box notes; classic, almost Left Bank in style, and delivered with real panache. The palate is exquisitely balanced with fine but grippy tannin, layers of black and red fruit tinged with vanilla and perfect acidity. The harmonious, sensual finish is very alluring. What a stunning 2015 this is going to be! Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Wine Advocate

96

byNeal Martinthe3/2/2018

The 2015 Angelus was bottled in September 2017. It has a more backward nose compared to other recent vintages, demanding coaxing to eke out those lovely blackberry, briary, cassis and crushed violet aromas that are neatly sutured with the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is velvety/creamy in texture, the acidity well judged with sumptuous black cherry and red plum fruit, underneath which lies hints of seaweed/brine and sea salt. There is great precision on the finish, completing an accomplished Angelus built for long-term aging. Anticipated maturity: 2023 - 2050. 

Vinous

95

byAntonio Gallonithe2/27/2018

Readers will have to be very patient with the 2015 Angélus. Massively tannic and forbidding, Angélus is one of the most reticent, unyielding 2015s I tasted. The high percentage of Cabernet Franc, the approach to extraction, aging in the cellar - which involves minimal racking and low S02 - and slightly late bottling are some of the factors that result in a huge, powerful, impenetrable wine at this stage. Even so, the 2015 exudes concentration and depth. Time in the glass brings out some of the wine's unctuousness, but it will be at least a decade before the 2015 is ready to deliver true drinking pleasure.

Wine Advocate

97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe2/22/2018

A blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Angelus reveals a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant aromas of crushed red currants, warm plums and pencil shavings with hints of incense, sage, violets and tobacco. Full-bodied, very fine and intense yet exquisitely delicate with wonderful freshness, it has ripe yet firm, very finely grained tannins and an epically long, perfumed finish. With bags of perfume and a captivating plushness, this Angelus is a real head-turner!

Wine Spectator

96

byJames Molesworththe2/15/2018

Dense, dark and muscular, featuring waves of warmed fig, plum and black currant paste that roll in with warm ganache, baker's chocolate and espresso accents. A huge swath of smoldering tobacco is brewing on the finish, which has a brooding feel, thanks to tannins that hit like a thunderclap at the end. If you've got time to wait... Best from 2028 through 2045. 8,750 cases made.  –JM

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe2/12/2018

A great wine with superb concentration and richness. yet it's ever so agile and polished. Spices, blueberries, cinnamon and dried flowers. Full body and polished and full tannins. Great length. The refinement to the tannins is amazing. Compacted. Essence-like. Needs five or six years to open. Try in 2025.

Decanter.com

98

byJane Ansonthe1/26/2018

A beautiful Angélus, its clear balance on display in the contrast between rich impact and palate-climbing layers of freshness. This is extremely accomplished, taking its time to show its power and density, leisurely playing with dark spice, liquorice and chocolate notes against the grip of juicy acidity and feather-soft tannins. It's really rather gorgeous, and is going to settle in for a long life. 100% new oak.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97

byJeb Dunnuckthe11/30/2017

A total blockbuster is the 2015 Angelus and it’s reminiscent of a slightly more elegant 2009. Made from 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, this rich, opulent beauty boast killer notes of blackcurrants, blackberry liqueur, truffle, chocolate and scorched earth. With full-bodied richness, building, ripe tannin and a stacked profile on the palate, this hedonistic Bomb of a wine from Hubert de Boüard needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for three decades or more. 97+

Wine Advocate

95-97

byNeal Martinthe5/29/2016

The 2015 Angelus is a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, picked from 22 September finishing on 14 October. "We found a nice homogeneity with the Merlot lots," I was told when I visited. "The old Cabernet Franc was very nice, but the younger vines were blended into the second label. This year, it is especially the Merlot that lends a lot of harmony to the wine. This year, the Merlot have some of the qualities of the Cabernet Franc, the precision and freshness. They give the generosity and sweetness." The wine was aged in 100% new oak at 11 degrees Celsius so they could add less sulfur to keep the freshness of the aromas and maintain the elegance of the wine. It offers a complex array of aromas such as black cherry, camphor, oyster shells and Japanese nori, beautifully defined and very focused. The palate is medium-bodied but powerful with layer of svelte tannins and a keen thread of acidity; layers of black fruit laced with spices, baking powder, mint and white pepper. It feels long in the mouth, insistently clinging for a minute after the wine has departed. Oh là là. This is a sexy, but compelling Angelus, fit for "007" and wine-lovers everywhere. Drink 2025-2060

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/29/2016

Dark and inky colored, the hue is laced with purple accents. On perfume smells like you walked into a flower garden overgrown with wild anise and boysenberry brambles. Dense, rich, opulent and incredibly sensuous, this wine caresses your palate and gums with fresh, ripe, fruits and sexy textures. The finish sticks with you for all the right reasons. This is in the same league as the sublime 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. Made from a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 17. The Grand Vin was produced from 62% of the harvest.

Decanter.com

95

byJames Lawther MWthe4/28/2016

62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc. Rich and brooding on the nose with a hint of spicy fragrance. Powerful tannic frame but the tannins are fine and polished. Great depth and structure. Suave texture for such a big wine. Balancing freshness on the finish. Will need time.2025-2040

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe4/27/2016

In 2015, Angélus is 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. It is also one of the most powerful, vertical wines of the vintage. A rush of sweet floral and spice notes appear first, before waves of intense, inky/purplish fruit take hold of all the senses. The tannins need time to soften, probably quite a bit of time, but there is no denying the wine's sheer beauty. I came back to the 2015 several hours later and found a wine that had blossomed beautifully with air. The 2015 will be magnificent once the tannins soften. Readers will have to be patient, as that is likely to take a decade-plus to happen.

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/26/2016

62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc. First year Stéphanie de Boüard was in charge with father Hubert at her side. Extremely dark purplish crimson. Light nose but masses of sweet concentration on the palate. Nothing exaggerated. Just rather drying tannins on the end at the moment. Like Carillon d'Angélus, it has a slight bitterness on the finish but has clearly been made with no shortage of ambition. For the long term. Drink 2027-2040

timatkin.com

96

byTim Atkin MWthe4/20/2016

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18,5

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/14/2016

Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en primeur. Couleur intense et belle. Nez très aromatique aussi, fruité, pur, mûr et complexe. Entrée en bouche nuancée, le vin avance en fondant avec du goût. A partir du milieu, il continue de fondre et devient plus puissant tout en restant gracieux. Longue finale complexe et savoureuse au grain fin. Superbe ! Assemblage 62 % merlot et 38 % cabernet franc. Sélection 65 % de premier vin. Degré d'alcool 14. pH : 3.7. IPT : 90.

Jamessuckling.com

99-100

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2016

This shows the purity of Angelus. I have never tasted a wine from here with such incredible clarity. Full body, full fruit and full beauty. Super silky tannins. A joy to taste. Makes you want to drink it. 62% merlot and 38% cabernet franc.