2018 Château Angélus, St Emilion, Bordeaux

Angelus 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It opens with notes of cedar and clove oil, with a core of blueberry preserves, baked plums, and Morello cherries, plus hints of roses and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is very finely grained and exquisitely knit with energetic fruit and it is long and minerally. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent (February 2023)

This is rich and complex from the very first nose, showing dense brambled fruit with real precision of expression. After a few minutes the aromatics explode, leaping out of the glass and giving an extra level of enjoyment to the wine. In the mouth, lovely vibrant tannins grip without any sense of urgency, joined by curls of woodsmoke and salt taffy through the finish. It's gorgeous and will make you smile with its mouthwatering finish. Only the oldest Cabernet Francs, aged between 60 and 80 years, went into the grand vin in 2018, meaning a little less Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual. But these old vines, planted by Stephanie de Boüard's grandfather, are rich in flavour and give saline emphasis to the finish. It's the first year that they have worked entirely organically, with a 32hl/ha yield from the harvest, which ran from 24 September to 11 October. A cold soak before fermentation was used to extract the colour and fruit flavours without too much tannin. The wine is aged in 100% oak barrels and, for the first time, a few amphorae. Drinking Window 2027 - 2042 jane_anson_mw, Decanter