2023 Château Angélus | DMG

The 2023 Angélus is the traditional blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. It aged for 20 months in new oak with just over half the Cabernet Franc aged in foudres (the Merlot is apparently less receptive to this larger vessel). It has a crisp and precise bouquet, not powerful, a light marine influence coming through with background scents of oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. There’s a pleasant saline edge to this Angélus, perhaps a little more compact on the mid-palate than usual, with touches of white pepper toward the finish. It needs a little more persistency on the aftertaste. This will deserve five of six years in bottle.

- Neal Martin (04/2024)

The transparency of fruit and the finesse is really something here. There’s depth and beauty to the pristine, fresh fruit. Full-bodied and muscular with wonderful tannins that provide tension and form. Subtle and weightless, this is a thought-provoking young wine. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. (05/2024)

The 2023 Château Angélus is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that’s fermented in its individual parcels and isn't blended until very late. It's very much in the more fresh, focused, precise style of this château and has a beautiful nose of ripe black raspberries, cassis, spicy wood, melted crayons, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Angélus with remarkable purity, ultra-fine tannins, and beautiful overall balance. It's certainly not the biggest or richest Angélus, but it has incredible purity, focus, and elegance. (05/2024)

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Angelus has a pH of 3.65 and is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little shaking to bring forth an eruption of energetic scents of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, and ripe plums, followed by nuances of cedar chest, clove oil, cinnamon stick, and violets, with a touch of garrigue. The medium-bodied palate is so, so finely knit with a mille-feuille of red, black, and blue fruit layers interspersed with mineral and floral notes, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. It will need time but it will be a jaw-dropper! (05/2024)

A classic blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Angélus reflects this estate's continuing evolution with regard to ripeness, extraction and élevage choices, offering up attractive aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of mint, potpourri, rose petals, vine smoke and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with a velvety attack that segues into a core of pure, pillowy fruit framed by supple, powdery tannins, it's cool and harmonious, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific effort that foregrounds the vintage and the terroir at their best.

- William Kelley (04/2024)