Angélus - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018

The Wine Independent

98

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe2/7/2024

A blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet franc, the 2018 Angelus is deep garnet-purple in color. It spills out of the glass with exuberant notes of cherry compote, plum preserves, and blueberry pie, followed by suggestions of Chinese five spice, potpourri, and dark chocolate, with touches of rosehip tea and underbrush. The palate is super concentrated, rich and opulent, framed by firm, velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing with epic length.

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 Angélus is striking. Cabernet Franc aromatics make a strong first impression. Vibrant and delineated, the 2018 is incredibly refined in every way. The move towards a bit less extraction really seems to let the purity of the fruit come through. The same is true of a reduction of oak. All the elements come together so effortlessly. The 2018 has all the richness readers expect of Angélus, with much more finesse and more overall vibrancy, a combination that works so well.

Wine Advocate

97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

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. 97+

Jeb DUNNUCK

100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

I loved the 2018 Château Angélus from barrel last year and it blew me away from bottle, epitomizing the new, fresher, more elegant style of the estate while still bringing classic Angélus richness and power. The 2018 is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in new oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc in foudre. A vivid purple color is followed by a vibrant bouquet of blackberries, crème de cassis, crushed violets, spring flowers, and cedar pencil. Beautifully concentrated, full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, it has gorgeous tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and awesome length. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved, picking up additional depth and richness, while never showing a hint of oxidation. Pure perfection, it's going to benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and keep for 3-4 decades. This is a sensational, magical wine from this talented team, led by winemaker Emmanuelle d'Aligny-Fulchi. Comparing this to the more opulent 2005 and 2009 over the coming decades will be an incredible experience.

The Wine Cellar Insider

99

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

Opaque in color, the perfume, with its wet earth, black cherry, black raspberries, plum liqueur, chocolate, flowers, smoke and licorice is intoxicating. Voluptuous in nature, the cashmere textures that accompany all those unctuous layers of decadently ripe fruit work together in perfect harmony. With time, this could hit triple digits if it continues developing in a positive direction, which I think it will. With the 2018 you have an evolution not a revolution; there is a small shift in style moving to a more refined elegance while retaining all its power. The wine was made from blending 65% Merlot, and 35% Cabernet Franc. With the 2018 only the oldest Cabernet Franc vines were used in the blend.

Vinous

95

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

As I mentioned in my tasting note from barrel, the 2018 Angélus is the first vintage aged in two new foudres. It is very perfumed on the nose, one of the most floral that I can recall at this early stage. Violet and incense aromas percolate through the precise blackberry and cassis fruit, all displaying fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. This is a velvety-smooth Angélus that would drink young if there was not still some oak to be assimilated. Fine balance and focus on the finish, which seems to firm up with continued aeration. This is a charming and quite sophisticated Saint-Émilion that should give 20–30 years of drinking pleasure.

Yvesbeck.wine

91

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Bouquet invitant, révélant son élevage avec délicatesse. Attaque juteuse et friande. Belle expression aromatique jusqu'en fin de bouche. Un vin élégant, suave aux tannins soyeux. Finale persistante.

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe1/12/2021

The aromas are incredibly complex with dark berries, elderberries, bay leaves, cloves and tile, follow through to a full body with layers of creamy and lightly dusty tannins that deliver a lingering finish and great attention to detail. The flavors range from black fruit to earth and stones. It’s reserved and poised with great intensity and power, in a toned and formed mode. One for the cellar. Try after 2026.

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Angélus was picked from 24 September until 11 October and for the first time is aged in two new foudres (one more on the way) which are designed to limit the impact of wood and oxygen ingress. These are currently being used for the Cabernet Franc, then after a year, the juice is transferred into used oak barrel. Deep in colour, it has a dense bouquet with high-toned black cherry and cassis fruit, touches of dark chocolate and sandalwood. It feels a little unsettling although it has just been racked. The palate is medium-bodied with soft and supple tannins, rounded in the mouth with touches of sea salt and black pepper. It is an intense rather than powerful Angélus. There is a drive towards more elegance at the estate, though perhaps the warmth of the second part of the growing season did not allow them to fully realize this. Still, it is a very fine Angélus that will age with style.

WeinWisser

19,5

byTjark Witzgallthe5/7/2019

Bettane & Desseauve

96-97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2019

Une superbe fraîcheur pour ce premier millésime bio tant au niveau de l’aromatique très pure que de la finale grandiose, portée par la subtilité des grands cabernets francs. On ne sent aucune trace d’élevage tellement tout est parfaitement fondu.

Vinous

95-98

byAntonio Gallonithe5/3/2019

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.

Vinifera

96

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Robe soutenue. le nez est expressif, sur des notes de baies noires, de griotte, de fruits mûrs. L'entrée en bouche est caressante Il délivre de belles sensations tactiles et ouvre sur un volume ample. Le tanin est doux et fruitéNotes de fumé et de cersie sur la finale. 

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Opaque in color, the nose sense just picked black raspberries, wet earth, smoke, licorice, flowers and liqueur of blackberry. On the palate, the wine balances power, elegance, refinement and depth. Clearly this is concentrated but there is a lightness in the touch with a refined, precise character. The finish keeps on going with groundswells of sensually textured fruits, spice, licorice and earth for over 50 seconds! With the 2018 you have an evolution not a revolution; there is a small shift in style moving to a more refined elegance while retaining all its power. The wine was made from blending 65% (oops forgot the grape) and 35% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.5% alcohol. it is interesting to note that with the 2018, only the oldest Cabernet Franc vines were used in the blend. The harvest took place September 24 to October 11. The yields were low at 30 hectoliters per hectare. This is the first vintage where all the vineyards used to produce Angelus were farmed 100% organically. The aging process has shifted as well, now 10% of the wine is aged in neutral foudres which will also go through malolactic fermentation in vat.

Wine Advocate

97-100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

“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.

Wine Enthusiast

96-98

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

This is a dense, smoky wine, packed with ripe tannins and a line of fresh acidity that forms a fine contrast. It’s a great wine that is rich in tannins while keeping elegance and finesse.

Decanter.com

98

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

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.

Jamessuckling.com

99-100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

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.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

98

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Wine Spectator

95-98

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2019

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.