Chateau Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005

The 2005 Château Angelus has been absolute pure perfection every time I’ve been lucky enough to taste it, surpassing the 1990 and rivaling the 2009 and 2018. Based on 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, it has a dense ruby/plum hued to go with mammoth-sized aromatics of red and black currants, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, truffle, and smoke. Incredibly concentrated, full-bodied, and massively concentrated, it has beautiful tannins and flawless balance. While I certainly appreciate the slightly more dialed back, finesse-driven style of Angelus today, tasting this sensational, singular beauty makes me miss this powerful, more opulent style.

Truly great stuff, this wine performed at a three-digit level both in the horizontal tasting of 2005s in Baltimore, as well as in Montreal at this mini-vertical. This sensational, opaque, bluish/purple wine offers up notes of vanillin, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, plus a touch of licorice. The wine hits the palate with a thunderous cascade of ripe, rich, concentrated fruit. It is full-bodied, multidimensional and layered. The tannins are beautifully integrated but still present, and the wood, acidity, alcohol, etc., are all beautifully assimilated in this magnificent, majestic vintage of Angelus. It can be drunk now, but it is still an adolescent and that suggests it has at least another 25-35 years of longevity.

2005 Angelus is a wonderful glass of wine. It offers loads of sweet, jammy fruit, Asian spices, crunchy fruit, meat and mocha. It is soft and creamy but you feel the real greatness and power residing in its depths when you taste it. This is one of the most profound examples of Angelus I have tasted and this volcano should continue to offer pleasant drinking for many years to come.

A vintage that needed careful handling during ageing because of the ripe concentrated fruits and relatively high alcohols. There is dark spice, almost primary aromatics, with some of the baby fat sliced off but still packed with eucalyptus menthol freshness. Saffron spices and baked earth starting to come through at 15 years old, along with cloves and chocolate. I love the texture as it opens up, wonderfully rich and supple. Harvest September 16th to October 1st. Still young but approaching its drinking window.

Beautifully focused notes of figs and ripe fruit on the nose, this is very perfumed. A lot of material in this wine, the center palate is incredible, lasting for minutes. This is full-bodied and super silky with fine tannins. A pinpointed ball of fruit, think lychee, and hints of chocolate on the finish. Leave this for six to eight years, should be about right in 2018.

(14.45% alcohol; 62% merlot and 38% cabernet franc; not yet racked) Deep ruby. Saturated bright ruby. Wonderfully pure aromas of dark berries, licorice, violet and tobacco leaf. Uncharacteristically generous on the attack for an infant Angelus, then silky, lush and sweet in the middle, with lovely floral lift to the superconcentrated dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors. The very fine tannins arrive late, allowing the fruit, floral and mineral components to expand. Elevage should bring even more length. Wonderfully detailed and refined for a young Angelus. This really refreshes the mouth. This should be approachable within a few years after its releases but will evolve in bottle for two decades or more.