Château Angélus - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2017 6b11bd6ba9341f0271941e7df664d056

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-97 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/12/2018

One of the darkest colored wines in the vintage is the 2017 Angélus. Its final blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, which includes more Cabernet Franc than usual. It's a polished, elegant, layered wine that has beautiful notes of crème de cassis, spice, graphite, and minerality. It has medium to full-bodied richness, fine, silky tannin, beautiful purity and more elegance and charm than normal. I suspect it will put on weight with time in barrel and have two decades or more of longevity.

Vinifera

95 / 100

byJacques Perrinthe5/28/2018

Le vin impressionne par la puissance de ses arômes truffés, épicés. Bouche puissante et veloutée, riche, extraite avec doigté, le centre est gorgé de nuances nobles et le vin semble très bien armé pour évoluer sereinement et longtemps. Ambitieux et flamboyant.

matthewjukes.com

18,5 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe5/20/2018

Le Figaro

18,5 / 20

byBernard Burtschythe5/15/2018

La robe est sombre à nuances grenat. Le nez est intense, très épicé, belle complexité. Le vin est suave, charmant, presque crémeux, plus merlot que d'habitude, un peu moins de fraicheur que 2016, des tannins fermes sous-jacents, jolie finale très élégante. Le vin se fera un peu plus vite que 2016. 3-12 ans.

Vinous

92-95 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/15/2018

The 2017 Angélus is impeccable. Bright and energetic, with terrific lift from the 30% Cabernet Franc, Angélus is super-expressive today. There is lovely depth and density to the fruit, even if the finish narrows just a touch. In 2017 Angélus is less powerful than it typically is, with less overt oak influence. Whether or not that is a reflection of the vintage alone, or indicative of a slight evolution in style is a question that can only be answered in the future. In the meantime, there is plenty to like about the 2017. The Merlot saw 3-4 weeks on the skins, while the Cabernet was macerated about a week longer. Aging is in 100% new French oak, with slightly lower toast levels than in the past. Production will be about 20% less than normal because of frost damage.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/11/2018

Blushing fruits, forest floor, truffle, mint and smoke fashion a bouquet that is enough to get you hooked on this outstanding creation. However, if you need more, the velvet textures, parfait of sweet red and black fruits, spice box and a sensuous finish

Vinous

94-96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/1/2018

The 2017 Angélus has a crisp, direct and very pure bouquet that is almost Burgundy-like in style. Crushed blackberry, hints of cassis, just a suggestion of bell pepper emanating from the Cabernet Franc and a faint estuarine scent all come through although unusually for this Saint-Émilion, they take three or four minutes to coalesce. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, but quite firm in the mouth. There is a marine-influence to this Saint-Émilion with a chalky, lightly spiced and, relative to 2015 and 2016, quite conservative and linear style. It feels very saline on the finish, perhaps more than I have encountered in recent years. It foregoes the roundness of recent vintages, perchance an Angélus that will be best shown on the dinner table instead of on its own. That's not a bad thing. Excellent.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/27/2018

A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the deep purple-black colored 2017 Angélus is a little closed to begin, opening out beautifully to notes of baked plums, fresh blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of mocha, bay leaves, beef drippings and wood smoke plus a touch of roses. Medium to full-bodied with a great density of mid-palate fruit and firm, fine-grained tannins, it finishes long and earthy with a compelling lift.

Decanter.com

96 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2018

Emmanuelle has been making wine here for 22 years now. The freshness of the Merlot in 2017 reminds her of 2001 - I would certainly agree, and maybe with a hint of 2014 too. It's a beautiful wine, voluptuous but elegant. These vines were not frosted, but the Cabernet Franc produced less than usual, and they also made an extremely careful selection overall, leading to a yield of 30hl/ha. The wine has great complexity, which is a standout character in 2017, with bilberries, charcoal and plush damson - the Angelus signature of power and glamour. There is good tannic density here and it will clearly merit long ageing. 85,000 bottles of Angelus produced, representing around 80% of total production. Matured in 100% new oak

WeinWisser

19 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/25/2018

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/17/2018

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez intense, fin, fruité, mûr, avec une note très originale d'aiguille de pin cette année. Tendre à l'attaque, juteux au développement, très, très fruité, savoureux, le vin fond au palais, sur un corps minutieux doué d'éclat dans le gout. Il s'achève droit sur une belle longueur séveuse et suave.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2018

Big tannins and powerful fruit go together in this finely perfumed wine. It has a smoky backdrop, with intense fruits and juicy acidity. It is so fruity and juicy now, though the tension behind the fruit suggests that it will mature quickly and then be at its peak for many years.

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/8/2018

Lost around 20% to frost. 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. 
Inky crimson. Redolent of classy and spicy oak but the fruit fragrance is there too, waiting to emerge after the chocolate dies back. A fine note of graphite and Cabernet Franc leafy (but fully ripe) freshness. Spicy and fresh on the palate. Rich and finely textured, with the oak giving way to the fruit on the palate. Very good balance even at this early stage. Savoury dark-chocolate, clean finish.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/6/2018

A layered and fine-grained young Angelus with very focused and integrated tannins that give the young wine form and focus. Full body and a subtle and fascinating fruit character. Should turn out beautifully.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/4/2018

This is jazzed up a bit, with dark anise and black tea aromatics leading off, followed by juicy blackberry, boysenberry and bramble notes. Has some flashy spice on the finish and some expensive-feeling toast, but everything is in lockstep as this moves along.—J.M.