2006 Angelus (St-Emilion)

Still young and a little closed at this point, even at 14 years old as the tannins remain muscular. Give it time in the glass, as it opens up to show black pepper, cassis, blueberry and rosemary spice. The precision of the construction is clear, with notes of tobacco leaf as it settles into the glass. Serious but succulent, and although its drinking window will be shorter than the 2005, this is still a wine with a long life ahead. Harvest September 19th to 29th. 94 points

Four words. `Wine of the Vintage`. One punctuation mark `?` and that is because we are assessing a pre-natal wine. But wow, it is all here. A deep black inky purple colour. Pure blackberry and blueberry on the nose, which has the precision and poise that most other St-Emilion could only dream about. In the background, a touch of blood orange and brown sugar. The palate is full-bodied, tannic but again with racy acidity and stupendous delineation a la Ausone. A touch of dark chocolate laces the crisp, sweet, blackberry and blueberry finish. Tasted within an hour of both Ausone and Cheval Blanc, Angelus slips past them both. Outstanding. 97-99 points