Château Angelus 2016

A sensual and racy Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

It was something winemakers had never seen in their memory: three months without water. It is in this context that Chateau Angelus, Premier Cru Classé A, created their wines. With beneficial rains mid-September, and the remarkable Indian summer that followed, the Chateau Angelus team took a calm, leisurely approach to their harvest (lasting from the 4^th to the 21^st of October), allowing their Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon to reach their optimal maturity. The 2016 Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, is a wonderful expression of the exceptional character of this vintage.

With a very dark inky colour, the 2016 Chateau Angelus displays on the nose sensual and dark notes of cedar and bitter orange peels, and a powerful sensation of freshness and tension. Aeration in the glass develops luscious (but not excessive) fruit notes of ripe blackberries and blueberries, with a bright and inviting purity. Smelling this wine is like biting into the ripe grape. Yet, at this time, the nose still hides the richness and depth that this wine will one day provide. The palate is precise and dynamic, with a meaty mid-palate, and silky with creamy tannins. The structure of the wine is impressive, with excellent balance, and it nearly seems to be drinkable now. The whole is impressive and superb, making Angelus among the most exceptional wines of the vintage, with extraordinary ageing potential.