Chateau Angelus 2018

4.7 stars - 5 professional reviews

€ 359,00 (ex Vat)
€ 434,39 (in Vat)

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Classification	Premier Grand Cru Classe A
Type	Red
Producer	Chateau Angelus
Vintage	2018
Country	France
Main region	Bordeaux
Region	Saint-Emilion
Grape	Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux Blend
Alcohol %	14.5%
Volume	0,75
Condition	Perfect
Label	Perfect
Drinkable	2026-2048
Stock	4

The conditions in Saint-Émilion in 2018 were ideal: warm days, cool nights and enough rain to keep the vines healthy. For Château Angélus, located on the coveted south-facing slope, this meant perfect ripening of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and outstanding concentration. The farm's transition to organic farming, which began the same year, added further complexity to an already exceptional vintage. Critics, including Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson, took notice of the wines and praised their balance of power and elegance. 2018 was one of the standout years for Angélus under the guidance of terroir specialist and Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal. She believes that this vintage reflected both the evolution of the estate and the exceptional terroir.

Professional reviews

Robert Parker 97

James Suckling 98

Jancis Robinson 17.50

Vinous 97

Jeb Dunnuck 100

Read all reviews ›

Robert Parker (97)

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.

James Suckling (98)

Sweet tobacco and black olives with some basil and terra cotta. Violets and dark berries, too. Very fine and linear with freshness and beauty. Full and very tight with beautiful depth. It goes on for a very long time.

Jancis Robinson (17.50)

Tasted blind. Big, bold, very ripe. Sweet and charming with some floral notes. Really glossy and fun. Lifted and lively. Even though not the most concentrated. A little bit of heat on the end. (JR)

Vinous (97)

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.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

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.

Other vintages

Chateau Angelus 2021 € 349,69 (in Vat) € 289,00(ex Vat) more info

Chateau Angelus 2020 € 398,09 (in Vat) € 329,00(ex Vat) more info

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Grape Varieties

Merlot is the main grape here, typically making up about 50% of the final wine. Merlot gives Angelus its trademark velvety texture and approachable personality. Cabernet Franc plays a very important role, sometimes making up 47% of the blend. The high percentage of Cabernet Franc gives the wine an aromatic lift and structural backbone that sets it apart from the Merlot-heavy Pomerol domaines. The remaining 3% Cabernet Sauvignon gives the blend ample tannins and length.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, dark cherry and black currant dominate, complemented by cedar and the characteristic minerality of Saint-Emilion's clay-limestone soils. On the palate, the Merlot immediately adds richness, while the Cabernet Franc brings spicy, almost peppery flavors and adds liveliness. The tannins are firm but refined, a testament to the success of careful extraction during fermentation. The wine has a savory feel to it, opening to reveal notes of graphite and tobacco leaf. The finish reveals dark chocolate and subtle oak spice. This wine is concentrated enough to age, but is already showing great promise.

The Producer

The de Boüard de Lafollet family has shaped the estate since 1782, but it was the modernization of Hubert de Boüard at the end of the 20th century that transformed Angélus into what it is today. In 2012, Angélus was classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé A, joining the three other top-ranked Saint-Emilion vineyards in the region. The estate was then classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, joining the other three estates at the pinnacle of Saint-Emilion's classification. What sets Angelus apart, however, is that it voluntarily relinquished that title in 2022. We at industry observers believe that this decision is truly a sign of confidence in their ability to produce great wines.

Cellaring Potential

Drinkable now, but why rush, the 2014 wines will continue to improve through 2035 or even longer. It will need a few more years for the persistent tannins we mentioned to fully integrate, and the Cabernet Franc element will become more complex in flavor over time. Store in the dark at 55-60°F. As it ages, the primary fruit flavors will evolve into the realm of classic aged Bordeaux: leather, earth, and forest floor. If opened immediately, decant for at least one hour.

Terroir & Climate

Angelus is located in what locals call a natural amphitheater on the southern slopes of Saint-Emilion. This position concentrates the summer heat and promotes early ripening. The soil is divided into two zones: the upper zone is clay-limestone, which grows Merlot, and the lower zone is sandy clay-limestone, which grows Cabernet Franc. Why is this important? Clay retains moisture during droughts, so the vines are not stressed even in hot summers like those of the 2020s. And the underlying limestone provides a mineral backbone that can be felt in every bottle. The slopes are always well drained, which is essential to prevent waterlogging during the rainy season.

Food Pairing

Protein is needed to soften the hard tannins in the wine, which explains why Bordeaux and beef have been partners for centuries. Try Côte de Beef with shallot confit. The fat of the beef softens the tannins and the minerality of the wine breaks up the richness. Duck breast would also work well with a cherry sauce, especially in response to the dark fruitiness of the wine. If you want to try something more regional, try herb-fried rabbit, served at 16-18°C and decanted for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.

Winemaking

Angelus is characterized by the use of open tanks for fermentation, a method pioneered by Hubert de Boüard in the 1990s. This allows for better extraction while maintaining the elegance that is essential for blends with a high Cabernet Franc content. After fermentation, the wine is aged on its lees to give it texture without masking the fruit. In recent vintages, the use of larger oak barrels in addition to traditional barriques (small French oak barrels) has softened the heavy oak notes of earlier vintages. The result is a fresher, more transparent wine, which is exactly what we see in this 2020 vintage.

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