- CRITICAL REVIEWS
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Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Vinous
2020 Chateau Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France
"This rich and complete vintage, the perfect synthesis of its two illustrious predecessors, 2018 and 2019, is the consequence of an amazing scenario."- STÉPHANIE de BOUÄRD-RIVOAL
Thanks to a very wet winter and spring, the soils had built up plenty of water reserves, which enabled the vineyard to maintain its balance throughout the whole of the growing season. A hot (but never scorchingly hot) vintage was marked by a prolonged period of drought. However, the high quality of the soils, and their ability to retain the rainwater absorbed in winter, enabled the best balances to be produced in the vineyard’s clay and limestone soils. The two and a half months of summer without rain provided the vines with the best conditions for ripening and the production of healthy balanced grapes, rich in very ripe polyphenols. While the finest Merlot was first judged to have a slight advantage over the rest, as always, after a few weeks of barrel ageing, we were amazed by the Cabernet Franc, which displayed a density and flesh on a par with the greatest. The wine displays a brilliant, dense, very dark, almost black colour with dark purple tones, mirroring the perfect ripeness of the grapes and their optimal pH level. The nose exhibits intense aromas of juicy black fruits, such as wild cherries and blackberries. Elegant floral notes then come through, such as peony and violets. Refined tannins underpin a long-lasting, spherical, voluptuous structure on the palate, while the flavours linger long, bringing a sensation of freshness and harmony. This vintage displays a seldomachieved degree of elegance, while the highest levels of purity and precision are reached with this blend of extraordinary Merlot and characterful Cabernet Franc.
BLEND 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc
HARVEST September 15th to 30th