1st Grand Cru Classé A since 2012
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The Château Angelus and its famous carillon overlooking the surrounding vineyards is an unmissable reference of the Rive droite of Bordeaux. The history of Château Angelus is intimately linked to its geographical location, due to the fact that it was the only place around the village of Saint-Emilion where you could hear the sound of the angelus (The Angelus in the singular, Christian prayer of the Catholic Church of the West) of three surrounding churches: the chapel of Mazerat, the church of Saint-Martin and the church of Saint-Emilion.
In 1782, Jean de Boüard de Laforest settled in Saint-Emilion, and his daughter Sophie settled on the vineyard of Mazerat, belonging to Charles Souffrain, whom she married in 1795. The de Boüard de Laforest family will always be at the head of Domaine, and it is Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, an oenologist by training, who will contribute to its great reputation from 1985 onwards, by introducing innovative practices. His daughter Stéphanie joined the adventure in 2012, representing the eighth generation. The passionate driving of Château Angelus year after year is thus above all a family story.
The Château Angelus will be named Grand Cru Classé when the Saint-Emilion classification was created in 1955, due to the great reputation it already enjoyed at the time. In 2012, it will reach the top by obtaining the title of Premier Grand Cru Classé "A", distinction until the 2021 vintage included. At the beginning of 2022, Domaine will choose to withdraw from the ranking, the next edition of which was to be formalized in September of the same year. Thus, from the 2022 vintage, the label of Château Angelus will mention only the Saint-Emilion appellation Grand Cru.
The Château Angélus is based on a 27-hectare vineyard, planted on hillsides with clay soils as well as on hillside feet with clay-limestone soils. The grape varieties are 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are aged for 18 to 22 months in French oak barrels.
The property produces a Second wine, Carillon d'Angélus, vinified in an outdoor winery at Château, which is entirely dedicated to it.
The Château Angélus is renowned for its complex, structured and particularly elegant wines, whose refinement is matched only by the family passion through which they were born.
The 2012 vintage marks the accession of Château Angélus to the prestigious title of "Premier Grand Cru Classé A" in the famous classification of Saint-Emilion. The label of the bottle approaches on this occasion a gold print in relief on a black background. In the words of Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal for this new packaging: "an exceptional bottle for an exceptional vintage".
From a meteorological point of view, the 2012 vintage was built in several stages and can be described as a winemaker's vintage as we like to say in Bordeaux. The winter was mild which favored an early budding of the vine, especially for the Merlot of Saint-Emilion. The spring certainly had a lot of rain but fortunately, the very nice months of July and August were adequate for a good constitution of the grapes. The month of September confirmed at the time of the harvest that it was a good vintage.
It presents a very beautiful and bewitching color of a still pronounced purple, with reflections becoming slightly tiled.
The nose is remarkably intense, with aromas of jammy black berries, exotic spices and very greedy woody vanilla notes.
The attack is beautifully supple, the tannins are silky and the mouth plays on a velvety and fruity register thanks to the very beautiful Merlots. The structure is also superbly built thanks to the high quality Cabernet Francs which bring elegance and precision to the finish.
Food and wine pairing:
This is a great Saint-Emilion wine that must be associated with a suitable dish to be justly appreciated. It will be a perfect accompaniment to a meat-based dish such as roast guinea fowl with mushrooms, roast duck with vegetables, or any type of game stew. The cheeses to be favored are those with soft rind and bloomy crust: Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Cantal or Salers. And there's nothing like a chocolate dessert like an opera cake to continue to enjoy it.
Ageing potential and tasting:
The peak of this wine is estimated between 2025 and 2045, and it is advisable to proceed to successive tastings to measure its evolution as well as its qualitative peak.
To be served at room temperature, taking care to put the bottle in the room the day before, to open it and to decant it 5 or 6 hours before the tasting.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, with an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
