Château Angelus - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2015

Vinifera

5 / 5

the5/31/2016

Belle robe sombre. Sensation de densité au nez sur des notes épicées avec une touche boisée assez noble. Entrée en bouche précise. Grande plénitude de saveur. Évolution bien rythmée, sans creux. Tanin dense, mais parfaitement enrobé et finale très soutenue sur les épices et les fruits noirs.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/29/2016

The 2015 Angelus is a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, picked from 22 September finishing on 14 October. "We found a nice homogeneity with the Merlot lots," I was told when I visited. "The old Cabernet Franc was very nice, but the younger vines were blended into the second label. This year, it is especially the Merlot that lends a lot of harmony to the wine. This year, the Merlot have some of the qualities of the Cabernet Franc, the precision and freshness. They give the generosity and sweetness." The wine was aged in 100% new oak at 11 degrees Celsius so they could add less sulfur to keep the freshness of the aromas and maintain the elegance of the wine. It offers a complex array of aromas such as black cherry, camphor, oyster shells and Japanese nori, beautifully defined and very focused. The palate is medium-bodied but powerful with layer of svelte tannins and a keen thread of acidity; layers of black fruit laced with spices, baking powder, mint and white pepper. It feels long in the mouth, insistently clinging for a minute after the wine has departed. Oh là là. This is a sexy, but compelling Angelus, fit for "007" and wine-lovers everywhere. Drink 2025-2060

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 / 100

the4/29/2016

Dark and inky colored, the hue is laced with purple accents. On perfume smells like you walked into a flower garden overgrown with wild anise and boysenberry brambles. Dense, rich, opulent and incredibly sensuous, this wine caresses your palate and gums with fresh, ripe, fruits and sexy textures. The finish sticks with you for all the right reasons. This is in the same league as the sublime 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. Made from a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 17. The Grand Vin was produced from 62% of the harvest.

Decanter.com

95 / 100

byJames Lawther MWthe4/28/2016

62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc. Rich and brooding on the nose with a hint of spicy fragrance. Powerful tannic frame but the tannins are fine and polished. Great depth and structure. Suave texture for such a big wine. Balancing freshness on the finish. Will need time.2025-2040

Bettane & Desseauve

19 / 20

the4/28/2016

Très suave, fruit avec fraîcheur, intensité élégante, superbe fraîcheur, longueur veloutée avec un merlot très suave, mais de grande énergie.

Vinous

94-96 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/27/2016

In 2015, Angélus is 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. It is also one of the most powerful, vertical wines of the vintage. A rush of sweet floral and spice notes appear first, before waves of intense, inky/purplish fruit take hold of all the senses. The tannins need time to soften, probably quite a bit of time, but there is no denying the wine's sheer beauty. I came back to the 2015 several hours later and found a wine that had blossomed beautifully with air. The 2015 will be magnificent once the tannins soften. Readers will have to be patient, as that is likely to take a decade-plus to happen.

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/26/2016

62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc. First year Stéphanie de Boüard was in charge with father Hubert at her side. Extremely dark purplish crimson. Light nose but masses of sweet concentration on the palate. Nothing exaggerated. Just rather drying tannins on the end at the moment. Like Carillon d'Angélus, it has a slight bitterness on the finish but has clearly been made with no shortage of ambition. For the long term. Drink 2027-2040

timatkin.com

96 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe4/20/2016

Wine Enthusiast

the4/15/2016

96–98. Barrel Sample. This is a concentrated wine that has a sense of style, showing wonderful fruit and structure. It is powerful in tannins while the acidity also gives it lightness and poise. The quality of the Merlot in the blend this year has given the wine concentration while the Cabernet Franc has added its fragrance. This is a wine for long-term aging.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18,5 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/14/2016

Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en primeur. Couleur intense et belle. Nez très aromatique aussi, fruité, pur, mûr et complexe. Entrée en bouche nuancée, le vin avance en fondant avec du goût. A partir du milieu, il continue de fondre et devient plus puissant tout en restant gracieux. Longue finale complexe et savoureuse au grain fin. Superbe ! Assemblage 62 % merlot et 38 % cabernet franc. Sélection 65 % de premier vin. Degré d'alcool 14. pH : 3.7. IPT : 90.

René Gabriel

19 / 20

the4/10/2016

50 % Merlot, 47 % Cabernet Franc, 3 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Eine grosse Ernte mit mehr als 100'000 Flaschen. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Grosses Bouquet, geprägt von reifen Cabernets, dunklen Röstnoten, pflaumigen Eindrücken, legt an der Luft permanent zu. Im zweiten Ansatz; Cassis, Mokka, Lakritze und viel dunkle Edelhölzer. Im Gaumen eine mächtige Delikatesse, also von feinen Eindrücken bis hin zum Aromenpower ist die ganze Bandbreite da. Die Grundaromatik bewegt sich zwischen blauen bis schwarzen Beeren, die Tannine reich aber auch schon angerundet, aber auch verlangend, der Nachklang ist und bleibt auch noch lange schier überaromatisch. Ein grosser spannender Angélus mit einer grossen Spannung. Ich fand hier viele Parallelen zum 1998er und so kann dieser 2015er vielleicht auch einmal bei der Maximalwertung landen. 19/20 2025 – 2060

Jamessuckling.com

99-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2016

This shows the purity of Angelus. I have never tasted a wine from here with such incredible clarity. Full body, full fruit and full beauty. Super silky tannins. A joy to taste. Makes you want to drink it. 62% merlot and 38% cabernet franc.