2010 Château Angélus, St Emilion, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/08/2015
(Jancis Robinson MW- jancis robinson.com April 2011)
(James Molesworth – The Wine Spectator – Mar 2011)
(98 Robert Parker- Wine Advocate- Feb 2013)
A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc cropped at 32 hectoliters per hectare, the 2010 may not hit the peaks of the extraordinary 2009 or 2005, but it is another fabulous wine from proprietor Hubert de Bouard. It boasts an inky/blue/purple color along with abundant aromas of acacia flowers, blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice and subtle toasty oak in the background. A notion of graphite emerges as the wine sits in the glass, which tends to be a characteristic of Angelus. Long, rich, dense and full-bodied with high but well-integrated tannins, it will rival the 1989 and 1990 as well as the 2009 and 2005 as one of the finest wines made at this estate. At present, the 2009 has a slight edge because of its more sumptuous texture. Nevertheless, the 2010 is a great wine with a future of at least 30 years!
(94-96+ Robert Parker- Wine Advocate- May 2011)
About this WINE
Château Angélus
Château Angélus is one of the largest and most prestigious estates in St Emilion. It was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A status in the 2012 reclassification. The de Boüard family has made wine here since 1782. The estate is now run by eighth-generation Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, who took over from her father, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, and uncle, Jean-Bernard Grenié, in 2012. It is located in centre-west of the St Emilion appellation, due west of the medieval town.
Angélus’s 39 hectares of vineyards are situated less than a kilometre away from the famous St Emilion steeple. The site enjoys a perfect southerly-exposed slope. Cabernet Franc is grown at the bottom, where the soils are sandier and warmer; Merlot is grown in the limestone-rich clay soils at the top of the slope.
Best of BBX: Bordeaux
Bordeaux is arguably the world’s best-known fine wine region. Here, legendary producers make classically-constructed, age-worthy wines that nearly always benefit from time in the cellar to draw out their full potential. Here is a selection of Bordeaux currently available on BBX.
Merlot
The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.
In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.
Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This is undoubtedly one of the very best St Emilions this year, with no hint of the excessive dryness of tannin which marked some others from this appellation. The bouquet has hints of black plum, raspberry and blackcurrant while on the palate there is a beguiling creamy texture, with huge intensity. The finish is long and the tannins very fine-grained. There is a slight toasty note from new oak but such is the concentration of fruit that this will be comfortably absorbed in a short while. The correct balancing acidity imparts a lovely freshness to the wine.
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