Château Angélus - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2007

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe3/31/2012

Tasted at Farr Vintners’ vertical from ex-chateau magnum. The 2007 has a slightly lighter colour than the 2008 and 2009. I appreciate the bouquet, lighter compared to more recent vintages with raspberry, cranberry sauce and a background tinny accent. Very nice purity here, the Merlot stronger than the Cabernet Franc at the moment and it unfurls nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity on the entry. It is a little angular compared to bottles that I have tasted, but it is very fresh in the mouth with admirable fruit concentration considering the vintage. It does not have a great length, cutting away quite sharply on the spicy finish with residues of burnt toast, so not a long-term vintage but very fine. Tasted October 2011.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/30/2010

Good deep ruby-red. Spicy aromas of blueberry, licorice and bitter chocolate. Sweet, lush and deep but quite suave, with lovely lift to the cabernet franc-driven violet, licorice and peppery flavors. Firmly structured and long on the aftertaste. This already shows good mid-palate fat but really needs at least a few years to expand.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2010

A super effort from proprietor Hubert de Bouard, this blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc exhibits sweet notes of chocolate, charcoal, blackberries, and jammy cherries in its round, opulent, fleshy personality. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine achieved 13.5% natural alcohol. Low acidity and ripe tannin make for a voluptuous style of Angelus to drink now and over the next 10-15 years.

Wine Spectator

88 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2010

Shows very good intensity of blackberry and coffee bean on the nose. Full-bodied, with slightly austere tannins and a long finish. A little hollow midpalate. Almost minerally. There's a lot of wood and cool fruit character, a bit too much new wood for me. Wait and see. Best after 2012.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

(approximately 61% merlot, 37% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon) Good bright ruby. Superripe aromas of plum, kirsch, violet and chocolate. Fat and soft but with lovely freshness and good depth to its flavors of black cherry, cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate. Finishes with big, tongue-dusting tannins, a note of licorice, and excellent length for the year. No shortage of power here, but will it have enough verve for outstanding?

Falstaff

88-90 / 100

the6/30/2008

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase süßes Heidelbeerkonfit, zart nach Kokos und Vanille, Nougatanklänge, feine Kräuterwürze. Am Gaumen saftig, wirkt zunächst etwas weitmaschig, feines Waldbeerkonfit, zart nach Schokolade, bereits harmonisch und zugänglich, doch etwas enttäuschend.

Le Point

16 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/15/2008

Vanille, fruits rouges, floral, bouche puissante, un peu extraite, tannique, serrée, tendue, tanins un peu mordants, vifs, de l'allure.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/5/2008

TAST

16.50 / 20

the4/29/2008

Coloré et vigoureux, très franc avec ses notes fraîches de petits fruits rouges, son corps soyeux et sa structure ferme mais veloutée, c’est un vin précis et ample, d’une dimension actuellement encore un peu linéaire, mais très complet.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/28/2008

This has a very deep concentrated nose, broody black fruits, a touch of graphite, the Merlot dominating at the moment at the Cabernet Franc more in the background. Again this is a great Saint Emilion with excellent structure and delineation, a real tension running through from start to finish. Very good weight with touches of graphite, blackberry with a hint of steaming black coffee on the aftertaste. This is another superb, very pure Angelus. Tasted April 2008.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16,5-16,8 / 20

the4/25/2008

Couleur pourpre, belle. Nez fruité, discret, de type mûr. Entrée en bouche quasi onctueuse et dense. Le vin se développe très, très fruité avec du goût, de la chair et un beau milieu de bouche. Finale tannique, enveloppée, grasse, assez puissante mais aussi aromatique. Il est un des rares vins à avoir une grande longueur cette année.

Jancis Robinson

16 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/15/2008

Dark purplish crimson. Very big-boned but with a hint of green on the nose. This wine tastes like a cross between Troplong Mondot and its fleshiness and the norm of the rest – lots of late-picked aromas but also some astringency and pretty mouth-puckering overall. Like sucking a bit of tarmacadam. Pretty hard work! And a bit of a hole in the middle. Not the charm of Pavie.

CH'NG Poh Tiong

/ 100

the4/14/2008

Oak/wood and merciless. Major HELP! Second worst wine of the Primeurs. Where’s the angel in this?

Decanter Magazine

17,5 / 20

the4/4/2008

Really deep, dark hue. Layered fruit on the palate with surprising freshness and vivacity. Lovely cassis notes and flavour. Oak present but integrated. Superior to 2004 and 2006. Drink 2014-2022.

Wine Spectator

88-91 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2008

Berry, mineral and licorice aromas and flavors. Medium body, fine tannins and a medium finish. Very well done for the vintage. —J.S.