-
97
/ 100
James Suckling -
96
/ 100
Wine Enthusiast -
97
/ 100
Jeb Dunnuck
Red
Classification
Merlot Blend
Variety
2017
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion
Region
13.5%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
97 / 100"This is so pure and aromatic with a level of complexity and refinement for the vintage that few have. Sweet tobacco, flowers, herbs and stone with underlying richness of fruit. It opens on the palate to a full body that is tight and reserved with an extremely focused tannin mouth feel. Length and excitement at the end. Very polished Angélus."
- James Suckling
96 / 100
"While this wine has density and richness, the structure gives it an ageworthy shape. Its power is tamed and given sophistication, while acidity and black-plum flavors give freshness. The wine will be impressive. Drink from 2024. Roger Voss"
- Wine Enthusiast
97 / 100
"One of the darkest colored wines in the vintage is the 2017 Angélus. Its final blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, which includes more Cabernet Franc than usual. It's a polished, elegant, layered wine that has beautiful notes of crème de cassis, spice, graphite, and minerality. It has medium to full-bodied richness, fine, silky tannin, beautiful purity and more elegance and charm than normal. I suspect it will put on weight with time in barrel and have two decades or more of longevity."
- Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
The 2017 Angélus was bottled later than many Right Bank wines, in fact just 10 days prior to my visit in late September '19. Proprietor Hubert de Böuard reminded me that there is less Cabernet Franc in the blend (30%) due to the frost, the estate electing to use the first generation fruit from their historical parcels. It has a very pure bouquet that is totally different from the Deuxième Vin, as you would expect, with scents of black cherries, wild strawberry, cassis and black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. The 100% new oak is nicely integrated into the black fruit laced with chestnut, tobacco, bay leaf and clove. There is decent body to this Angélus. It feels a little tight and constricted towards the finish, but I appreciate the contribution of the Cabernet Franc. It will age with style.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity