CHÂTEAU ANGÉLUS
Some of the finest terroirs in Saint-Émilion are covered by Château Angélus (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) and its 39 hectares of vineyards. The vineyards are planted with 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, and only 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Château Angélus
Some of the finest terroirs in Saint-Émilion are covered by Château Angélus (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) and its 39 hectares of vineyards. The vineyards are planted with 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, and only 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.
There is a continuous increase in the proportion of Cabernet Franc in the vineyards, which naturally also affects the final blend. Château Angélus was one of the earliest advocates for Cabernet Franc in Saint-Émilion. Not because they believed it would improve the quality of the wine, but rather because the original French name for Cabernet Franc was "Bouchet," the maiden name of Elisabeth Bouchet, the grandmother of the current owner and winemaker, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest. The estate still has old Merlot vines dating back to 1918 and additionally, 10 hectares of Cabernet Franc vines that are over 60 years old. As expected, Merlot vines are planted in predominantly clay and limestone soils, while Cabernet Franc is planted in gravel, limestone, and sandy soils.
Of the 39 hectares, 27 hectares are classified for the first wine, Château Angélus 1st Grand Cru A, producing approximately 120,000 bottles annually, while the remaining 12 hectares cover the needs for around 12,000 bottles of the second wine, Le Carillon d'Angélus. The second wine made its debut with the 1987 vintage. It's worth mentioning that the estate now also produces a third wine, an archetypal Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, simply named No. 3 d'Angélus, from the youngest vines, containing a blend of up to 85-90% Merlot.
The de Boüard de Laforest family has been in Bordeaux for an impressive 700 years and arrived in Saint-Émilion in 1782. Here, eight generations have cultivated the land to achieve the outstanding wine that Château Angélus is today. Since 2012, the estate has held the top classification of Premier Grand Cru Classé A (or 1st Grand Cru A), and in 2018, it transitioned to 100% organic cultivation. Today the estate is HVE certified (High Environmental Value Exploitation).
Hubert de Boüard de Laforest has made arguably the greatest difference for the estate since taking over in 1988. His innovative methods have elevated the wines to the top of the absolute premier league on the right bank, and his skills have made him a sought-after consulting winemaker for several of his colleagues throughout the Bordeaux region.
The wine is aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 18-24 months. In the first eight months of aging, the wine remains on its lees (dead and excess yeast cells), which gives it more extract, color, and richness. The wine undergoes many more processes that turn it into the immortal dark and juicy ambrosia it is known to be. Château Angélus is best enjoyed with solid maturity between 12 and 35 years depending on the vintage. Young vintages should be decanted for two to three hours or more before serving. Older vintages only need decanting if you wish to remove sediment from the bottle.
"A great wine is a terroir with the person to reveal it,to make the very best of it and pass it on"
Hubert de Boüard de Laforest
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