Chateau Angelus at Ivy

I was extremely lucky to be allowed to attend an Angelus tasting with my Merivale colleagues.

All hour decant, all showing that plain chocolate note

• 2012 Château Angélus Le Carillon de l'Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  aromas of plums, sweet spice, earth, leather and slight perfumed floral top notes, slight blackcurrant, biscuit, a little plain chocolate, touch of forest floor; mushroom, slight red berry underpin. Nice nose. Juicy, textured grip is woody, drying, talc textured, touches of cream and mushroom join plums and Asian fives spice as well as a slightly green sour note. a little alcohol warmth on the finish. Okay, drink now - 5 years

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2014 Château Angélus Le Carillon de l'Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Touch of dusty glass partially obscures blueberry, slight blackcurrant, red currant, behind the a little plain chocolate, coffee bean and baking spices. Juicy but with a sense of diluteness, pyrazine lends green notes, tannins are woody, drying though only talc textured, feels a little closed down, the fruit shows as slightly unripe, a little tart and sour on the finish. Not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2016 Château Angélus Le Carillon de l'Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  After the last two vintages this has an immediate sense of power and density on the nose. Perfumed plummy fruit has a little alcohol prickle, touch of soy sauce, raspberry, fresh herbs almost parsley, that plain chocolate as well as some good quality oak. in the mouth it again shows that power; alcohol present but controlled, dense, brooding, silky textured and persistent tannins are only slightly drying, all travel long, balanced, dark hued plus with that slight raspberry note wrapped up in plain chocolate as well. Yum.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

All 2 hour decant, less chocolate here

• 2015 Château Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  And the step up from the Carillon is equally pronounced. Bold, rich, dense, plenty of polished oak lens sweet spice, plain chocolate, a little caramel, lush and plush black plums backed by a smidge raspberry, a touch of fresh herbs lens an almost tobacco leaf note, toast and, again, a little soy sauce. Juicy, fleshy, dense, broad, alcohol warmth is present but controlled, plums are slightly dominated by the oak, creamy, time required though this is balanced. A little freshening red berry; raspberry and strawberry on the finish is pleasant. Powerful. Nice.

  Read 4 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2010 Château Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  A little dusty sweet spice, plums, touches of fresh blackcurrant, forest floor just beginning to show on this bottle, rich, some tiny little tomato leaf note, mushroom. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, woody drying talc textured tannins, plenty of dark fruits show plums and currant, almost a little raisin note. Powerful long, a little savoury yeast extract on the finish. Demands protein from the cow, charry on the outside, bloody in the middle.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2020 Château Angélus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Even with 2 hours in the decanted this is quite closed and, for the first time in this bracket, I can see some plain chocolate to accompany plummy fruit . Behind this a little red berry, sweet spice. Alcohol lends a little minty note. On the palate it's unsurprisingly concentrated and dense, plummy fruit still manages to retain some freshness beneath the plentiful oak and, again, the alcohol is present but well managed. Tannins are coarse silk textured and a little chewy, the oak flavours are more dominant on the finish; chocolate especially.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

What a treat. Despite having a few bottles in the cellar I don't really get to look at these wines very often.