Château Angélus 2009

Rich and rather stolid now, this features a wall of roasted apple wood and charcoal flavors in front of the dense core of black Mission fig, steeped black currant fruit and espresso notes. Extremely dense on the finish, but the inlaid spice and tobacco hints are there just beneath the surface, needing only extended cellaring to emerge fully. One of the larger-scaled efforts of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035. 8,165 cases made.

Intense chocolate and turmeric spices hit you right from the first moment. This is richly textured with a palate that is still almost primary fruit—an intense and impressive wine, dominated by blackberry and black cherry fruits, given balance and freshness by eucalyptus and mint leaf, no doubt helped by the Cabernet Franc that is such a signature of Angélus. Plenty of swagger here, the vintage taking precedence over terroir at this stage of its life, and I would suggest giving it another few years in bottle before drinking. Harvest September 25th to October 14th.

If you've ever eaten really good British Christmas cake then you know what this lavish 2009 St.-Emilion smells and tastes like. Every bit as rich as it is polished with a long moderately dry finish packed with powdery tannins. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

The 2009 Angélus has a very refined bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, quite lavish in style with hints of crushed violet developing in the glass. You cannot help but be taken by the purity of this Angélus. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe and supple tannin, well-judged acidity, beautifully balanced, with supremely well-integrated oak toward the finish. This is a wonderful Angélus that should give another two or three decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting.

The perfume easily delivers its complex array of coffee bean, licorice, dark cocoa, plums, cherry and truffle. On the palate, the wine is full, rich, dense and intense, with a silky, cashmere-like texture and layers of fruit. This is developing quite well and could pick up another point if it continues on its upward trajectory.

A perfect wine in every way, the 2009 Chateau Angelus checks in alongside the 1990, 2000, 2005, 2018, 2019, and 2020 as the finest vintages from this incredible estate. Still deep ruby-hued with no bricking, it has a mammoth-sized bouquet of cassis, smoked tobacco, flowery incense, truffly earth, and chocolate that’s to die for. These all carry over to the palate, which has full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, ripe building tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. As I wrote the last time I tasted this elixir, it offers an amazing amount of both hedonistic and intellectual pleasure. It has at least another 2-3 decades of prime drinking ahead of it.

Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Warm bouquet, malty notes, black olives, dark fine woods, Arabica coffee, currants and blackcurrant, topped by a conciliatory hint of fresh mint that pairs with just-picked ripe blackberries. On the palate, a rich body and muscular astringency, plenty of black berries in a demanding finish. A massive Angélus with dramatic concentration for the day after tomorrow. Nothing happens here before 10 years.

Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Warm bouquet, malt tones, black olives, dark noble woods, Arabica coffee, currants and blackcurrant, over which a conciliatory fresh mint note dances, complemented by freshly picked, ripe blackberries. On the palate, a rich body girded by supporting muscular astringency, plenty of black fruit in a yearning finish. A massive Angélus with dramatic concentration for the day after tomorrow. Meaning, nothing really happens here before 10 years. (19/20). 12: Compact nose, showing lots of plump Merlot, caramel, mocha. On the palate, lots of substance, generous extract. Definitely an Angélus for the day after tomorrow. 13: Dark, dense wine red, lilac shimmer at the core. Sweet, very ripe berry bouquet, caramel, fine buttery notes, light pralines, showing a delicately minty freshness within, intoxicating in its perfumed appearance. I’m surprised by its elegance on the nose; I had expected more of a powerhouse. It appeals more through class than the overblown 2005 from the same house. Delicate palate, fine tannins, fruit from blue- to black-berried, the finest cassis notes, again the gentlest coconut nuances, focused finish with beautiful length. Compared with the otherwise highly showy Angélus of recent times, this is more of an ultra-refined Premier. The Merlot expression is currently almost stronger than the Cabernet Franc spice. The balance delivers “heavyweight nobility!” (19/20). 16: It tastes like a rich Ribera del Duero. Caramel and sandalwood. The wine is so opulent and rich that you hardly notice its massive tannins. Atypically brilliant!

Concentrated, closed, opulent bouquet with blackberry jelly, mocha cream, crème brûlée and chocolate. Concentrated, opulent, broad, jammy, sweet palate with a plush structure, plenty of fine tannins, powerful sweet aromatics, long, creamy finish. 19/20 2020 - 2050

Visually and aromatically this is opulent, with glass-staining purple alongside smoked spice, cumin, incense, crushed liquorice and rocks, mocha, tobacco, blackberry, fragrant spice box and toasted plums. There is tension across the palate as well, and this is at the very beginning of its drinking window, with decades ahead of it. Aged 100% in new oak. Emmanuel Fulchi, technical director. Harvest from September 23 to October 14, with a gap between the two grape varieties. These were the years when Angélus began holding more stock back at the estate, but there’s still not much left, and it’s not an easy vintage to find — but you’ll be very happy if you do.

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Angelus is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It swans out of the glass with gregarious notions of Indian spices, kirsch, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, leading to wafts of candied violets, licorice, and clove oil. The full-bodied palate is so, so plush, jam-packed with multi-layered black fruits, finishing very long and beautifully fragrant.

With a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, Angélus captivates, as always, with ripe fruit, a highly indulgent and approachable profile. Fragrant and seductive, it shows vigorous, expansive structure. A generous wine, finely toasted, with remarkable aromatic precision. The selection for the second wine, Le Carillon de L’Angélus (20,000 bottles), is even larger than last year.

A dense, tight, tannic, austere wine, very precise, with freshness, a very licorice-like finish, a touch of alcohol on the finish that brings plenty of charm—so well made.

Logo on the capsule: inverted T (Trescases) Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Intense, refined nose, fruity, ripe, complex and pure, with a floral touch. Ultra-delicate on the attack, precise to the touch, silky and airy mid-palate despite its power, the wine develops into a flavorful and complex finish, with plenty of taste and an uplifting drive. It's very good.

94-96 Barrel sample. A immensely powerful wine, heaving with fresh fruit and dark tannins. It is full of spiced plums, dark cherries and berries. These lie over wood and a powerful structure.