Product description
Château Angélus is one of those Bordeaux estates where history, family, and place intertwine like the layers of wine in a glass.The estate is located at the "foot of the hill" of Saint-Émilion, in a natural amphitheater that has carried the sound of the bells from three nearby churches since the Middle Ages.It is precisely the echo of the Angelus prayer (l’Angélus) that explains both the name and the distinctive bell motif on the label.Since 1782, successive generations of the de Boüard de Laforest family have tended the vineyard and upheld the estate’s tradition; in 1954, the estate was included in the Saint-Émilion classification, and in 2012 it was promoted to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé A (in the 2006 vintage, it was still listed as Premier Grand Cru Classé “B”).Today, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, the eighth generation of the family, is at the helm, and the vineyard itself—located just a few hundred meters from the town’s famous bell tower—is considered a model for the southern, sun-drenched slopes of Saint-Émilion and for a style that deliberately favors Cabernet Franc in the blend.
The location itself is also a distinct terroir: clay-limestone soils on a limestone bedrock, rows of vines spread out across an amphitheater-like basin, and the vineyard now covers several dozen hectares (approx..39 ha).From this blend, Angelus has for years been crafting a powerful wine with a silky texture and a “bell-like” resonance of black fruit, anise, roots, and truffle notes that age beautifully.In the cellars, the wine is aged in 100% new French oak barrels; the typical aging period is about.18–24 months, depending on the vintage.
For the 2006 vintage, the blend is listed in two versions that coexist: the most common sources cite 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc; others list 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon—the differences stem from varying publication dates and possible adjustments to the declared proportions.Regardless of the variant, this is a classic vintage, with a strong core of fruit and taut tannins.Barrel aging for the 2006 vintage lasted about.20–22 months (within the estate’s typical range of 18–24 months), always aged in 100% new French oak barrels.
A few interesting facts that Angélus enthusiasts will appreciate: the bell on the label isn’t just decoration—it’s an echo of the daily rhythm of the vineyard workers’ labor, which was once marked by three church bells; the estate itself also operates the famous Michelin-starred restaurant Logis de la Cadène in the heart of the medieval town, which beautifully rounds out the “wine and gastronomy” experience.
Appearance: dense, deep ruby red with garnet highlights at the rim, clear and opaque, with “slow” tears running down the sides of the glass.
Aroma: dark fruits (blackberry, black currant, blueberry), licorice, espresso and cocoa, violet, graphite, with hints of tobacco and forest floor over time; elegant, subtle toasty notes from the barrel.
Taste: full-bodied, dense, yet silky; the sweet, ripe fruit is balanced by freshness, with fine-grained tannins that “grip” the middle of the palate; a long, mineral-chocolate finish.
Culinary pairings: Right Bank classics—lamb saddle with rosemary, venison in juniper sauce, beef tenderloin with roasted root vegetables; in Polish cuisine—beef roulades with porcini mushroom sauce, roe deer loin, slow-roasted lamb shoulder; cheeses: aged Comté, Salers, and, from local producers, aged Cheddar.