Chateau Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016

Incredible depth of fruit to this Angélus, which is dense yet also agile and energetic. There’s just so much dynamic fruit and tannin structure. Makes you want to taste and taste. What a young wine! We will see if 2016 is better than 2015. Both are great.

The 2016 Anglus is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 to 22 months in new barrels and foudres. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with sensuous notes of lavender, candied violets, garrigue, Ceylon tea and iron ore with a core of warm black cherries, mulberries, ripe plums and aniseed plus wafts of cedar chest and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the perfumed fruit whispers of great intensity and depth, with the vivacious fruit well knit into the plush, seductive frame of velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Still very tightly wound with amazing tension at this stage, it truly needs a good 6-8 more years in bottle to deliver the fully expressed layers that this soft-spoken, profound beauty promises.

A wonderful Angélus, rich in the character of this vintage. Stunning length on the silky tannins. This extends outwards, and the architecture is very much more linear than circular as it is in some vintages), with a lovely freshness and power. I just love how effortless this feels, with deeply intense black fruits and a dried herb edge. The flesh isn't overt but absolutely present. Likely to take on some more weight over time and it will certainly take its time to reach its perfect drinking window. Wonderful sense of energy, power and intensity, yet it’s so drinkable now. The 100% new oak is very well-integrated, a brilliant success. Blend is 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, with the lowest pH for many years at 3.7 the 2009 more like 3.9), mainly because the wide temperature differences between day and night slowed down the maturing process and kept freshness. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050.