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Chateau Angélus

The history of Angélus is inextricably intertwined with that of the Boüard de Laforest family, who have been patrons of this estate since the early 20th century. They acquired the vineyards in 1909, when Comte Maurice de Boüard de Laforest was bequeathed the Domaine de Mazerat, part of the estate of his aunt, who was a Souffrain, one of two large landowning families that held sway over vast areas of St Emilion at that time. This small acquisition was augmented, in 1924, by a 3-hectare vineyard, the Clos de L'Angélus, which was acquired from the other grand family of St Emilion, the Gurchys. The vineyard is reputedly one of the few sites in St Emilion where, standing amongst the vines, the Angélus bells of all three of the town's churches - the one in St Emilion itself, the chapel at Mazerat and the older church in St-Martin de Mazerat - are audible, hence the name Angélus, which now applies to the whole estate.

Maurice, Jacques, Christian and Hubert

In 1959 Maurice de Boüard de Laforest died and was succeeded by his two sons, Jacques and Christian, who decided to unite the two vineyards, subsequently again augmenting the estate in 1969, this time with the purchase of a 3-hectare plot from nearby Beauséjour-Bécot. In 1976 they were joined at the newly enlarged Angélus by Hubert de Boüard de Laforest. Having studied under Emile Peynaud at the Faculté d'Oenologie in Bordeaux, Hubert now began work under the auspices of his uncle. He continued to accrue knowledge and experience, working at Chateau Thieuley with Francis Courselle, and making numerous trips to Burgundy, where he discovered many philosophies and practises that he admired. He quickly realised that there was considerable room for improvement in all areas at Angélus, in both the vineyard and the chai, and it was not long before Hubert initiated a program of investment and refurbishment.

In the chai he started with the introduction of new equipment, stainless steel to replace the vinification vessels which were concrete, and new barrels for the subsequent maturation of the wines. Following Hubert taking full control in 1985, Angélus has also seen the arrival of climate-controlled cellars and a new tasting room. And perhaps more notably, some of his experiences in Burgundy have been incorporated into the winemaking at Angélus, such as the rapid move of the wine into barrel, where malolactic occurs, and the importance of lees in the élevage of red wines. These changes may sound relatively minor, but when one considers that Hubert de Boüard's father never utilised barrel maturation at all, the wine going from concrete tank into bottle, this was a major shift in direction (and a huge financial investment) for Angélus.

Although a qualified oenologist in his own right, having studied under Emile Peynaud during his time at Bordeaux, and clearly rich in experience, Hubert still looks for outside advice with Angélus. Michel Rolland, another student of Peynaud, consults here. The two are apparently friends, perhaps not surprising considering their very similar oenological education, and it is perhaps notable that Angélus was not one of the estates to be given the heave-ho when Rolland reduced his workload in early 2007, dropping numerous consultancies including Kirwan, Malescot, Camensac, Fieuzal and others. No doubt the changes in quality and style seen at Angélus in recent years can not be ascribed solely to Hubert.

Meanwhile, in the vineyard there was increased selection and a new approach, a move towards managing the estate plot-by-plot rather than as a single entity. Fertilisation is organic rather than chemical, there is grass covering between the rows of vines, and there is much focus on preserving the health of the soil, ensuring that it remains richly endowed with a diverse array of microbial life. As if this all weren't enough, to cap it all in 1987 Carillon d'Angélus, a second wine (always guaranteed to raise quality) was introduced. It seems clear to me that with these developments and interventions Hubert de Boüard de Laforest has, with the assistance of both Michel Rolland and in more recent years his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenie, set Angélus on its ascent in the St Emilion hierarchy.

Angélus: The Vineyards and Wines

The Angélus vineyard, which totals 23.4 hectares, is situated on the famous côtes of St Emilion with the clay and limestone terroir typical of the region. It is planted with 51% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, with just 2% Cabernet Sauvignon bringing up the rear. The vines have an average age of about 30 years, and are planted at a density of up to 7000 vines/ha. The vine canopies are handled so that leaf surface is maximised but grape bunches are not crowded, and the crop is managed with the aim of low yields without green harvesting if possible; a typical figure for Angélus is between 35 and 40 hl/ha. The fruit is picked by hand with an aggressive sorting in the vineyard, then destemmed at the chai, before going into the fermentation vessel which may be oak or steel, or maybe even one of the concrete tanks, which were retained. There is a cold maceration of up to five days before fermentation gets started. Once complete, the wine undergoes malolactic and is then matured in oak for up to 22 months. The grand vin is Chateau Angélus of which there are about 10000 cases per annum, and the second wine is the aforementioned Carillon d'Angélus, of which there are about 1000 cases per annum.

Once called L'Angélus, now simply Angélus, this estate has, under the tenure of Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, been in the ascendant. With investment in the chai and improved viticultural practices in the vineyard, the wines of Angélus have displayed a tangible escalation in quality in recent vintages. This is plain to see on tasting the wines, as the tasting notes for some recent vintages, of both the grand and deuxième wine, presented below make plain; both the 2001 and the 2003 have the edge over the 1998, long hyped as a superior right bank vintage. As quality has been pushed higher and higher, more recent vintages - not just great years like 2005, but also 2007 and 2008 - have been just as impressive, if not even more so. And this is the mark of a truly great estate; when they make appealing wines in washout vintages such as 2007, you know you are onto something good. But Boüard's energy and investment has brought success in many other ways too, not only elevation from Grand Cru Classé to Premier Grand Cru Classé B status in 1996, but also a valuable product placement in a Bond film, Casino Royale, an arrangement which seems to have come about as a result of Boüard's friendship with actor Daniel Craig (at least that is would Boüard would have me believe). With continued success, Angélus is surely a front-runner for future elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé A status, although with the failure of the 2006 revision to the St Emilion classification, perhaps Boüard would benefit more from seeking further exposure on the big screen than he would from wooing any visiting committee members. (3/4/07, updated 10/3/10)

Contact details:
Address: 33330 Saint Emilion
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 24 71 39
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 24 68 56
Internet: www.angelus.com

Chateau Angélus - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2008: This is 58% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Franc. Big smoky fruit, intense, aromatic, spicy and complex. Rich, dense, defined but creamy on the palate, although it also has a fine, stylish definition to it. Quite a firm substance, lots of texture, attractive weight in the mouth, very finely balanced, with lots of ripe substance. A very strong wine indeed, which has excellent potential for the future. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 18-19+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2007: A deep, brooding nose, stuffed with characterful fruit with a slightly gamey edge. Very ripe fruit profile on the palate, with a firm composition and elegantly ripe tannins. A wine of serious intent, this has plenty of extract although it is not overdone, and carries a fine weight. Overall, considering the vintage, this is very appealing. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2006: M 65%, CF 35%. A evocative, pure fruit nose, with some sweet oak already. Very indistinct on the palate, flabby, unfocused. No vigour or poise, and we should expect both. Soft, although there are some grippy tannins beneath it all, but it is a little deficient in acidity, freshness and a general presence on the palate. It is decent wine, but we have come to expect more from Angélus in recent years. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 15-16?/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2005: An impressive depth apparent on the nose here, with purely defined, vibrant although rather dense and gamey-meaty fruit. Rather dark, quite spicy, with a touch of balsamic, rich but curranty style. The palate has a huge but rather softly defined presence, with a slowly building wall of tannin which comes to dominate the midpalate, over a layer of ripe, finely fleshy fruit. Huge and prodigious in terms of its structure. Great substance. There is undoubtedly great potential here, although in its currently youthful state it does seem a little loose-knit. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18.5+/20 (November 2009)

Carillon d'Angélus (St Emilion) 2004: A good depth of colour. Deep, smoky, delicious cherry fruit on the nose, with some residual toffee oak. Deep fruit complexity here. It seems more honest, true to the appellation than the 2002. Full, ripe, macerated cherry fruit, creamy and full, quite broad and indeed a little flashy. Good fruit acidity though. This is stylish, with a nice grip. Very good potential. 17+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2003: 56% CF, 1% CS, 43% M. A Cabernet Franc vintage, so one to which I am bound to be predisposed. Deep, concentrated, rather similar to the 2001. Open, flashy, still the cashew nut of recent oak, rich, with mint, dark chocolate and cherry. Hugely characterful, smoky, has a little confit character that goes with being a 2003 but it is not as overt as it is in many wines. Full, huge, creamy and yet structured, well poised, a ripe core of velvety tannins. A very expressive, grippy style, deep but with good freshness of fruit despite the heatwave vintage. Wonderful potential here, as evinced by a flourish of ripe tannins on the finish. Great length too. 18.5+/20 (February 2007)

Carillon d'Angélus (St Emilion) 2002: Quite transparent when compared with some of the other wines here. But the nose has surprising character, plenty of rich, rather dark fruit considering its appearance. Rather smoky, a sweet fruit gum character, and a little minty. Not the depth I would hope for, but still very straightforward and primary. Very pure, well delineated, remarkable fresh. Creamy, textured yet firm. Very vigorous, especially considering the vintage. Grippy-spicy, but only moderate concentration, not quite the depth I would like and a short finish. A nice style though. 16+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2001: Dark, smoky, concentrated. The palate is broad, well defined and yet creamy. There is a fine depth, with a great grip, and altogether this is an integrated, well knit, focused and yet seductive package. Certainly a success, although not showing as well as my note from a few months ago - perhaps because this is a totally different tasting environment. Well done Hubert de Boüard! From a Bordeaux tasting with Bibendum. 17+/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 2001: 60% M, 40% CF. A hugely concentrated colour, with a deep, inky red hue. A lovely nose, very evocative, with some plum, plumply spiced black fruit, pure and yet deep. A little mint, which shows up in a number of the wines, here alongside a little touch of dark chocolate. Well poised, yet full, creamy, rich and deeply textured on the palate. Lifted and fresh, with vigour, and considerable power through the midpalate. Grip. Deep, chewy fruit. Lovely ripe tannic structure, with wonderful fresh acidity. This is beautifully harmonious, and to my palate surpasses the 1998 right now. A sign, perhaps, of the continued efforts put in by Hubert de Boüard. 19+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 1998: 66% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc. Dark, concentrated, vibrant pink-claret rim, with some early colour change coming through. Plums, cigar box, sweet fruit, still very primary though. But there is some emerging complexity. Very rounded and fleshy, forceful, full of vigour and yet refined, elegant. Textured, balanced, with lovely poise. A touch silky, but like the nose here the wine still has a very primary, sweet black fruit nature. Needs close to a decade before this wine will really shine. Excellent, with stunning potential. 18+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Angélus (St Emilion) 1998: Harvest began on September 27th and lasted a week. This wine has 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc although there is also a little Cabernet Sauvignon planted here. Between three and four weeks maceration. A dense colour. Roasted nuts and dark fruits on the nose. Great density when tasted, appealing concentration, and still has plenty of tannic structure at present. A medley of red and dark fruits on the palate, supple tannins and correct acidity. A great presence on the palate, and a good clean finish. From a tasting of 1998 St Emilion. 18+/20 (May 2004)