2025 Angelus (St-Emilion)

The 2025 Angelus (50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot) is a superb contemporary Grand Vin. Aromatic, vibrant and wonderfully fresh, the 2025 dazzles from start to finish. Blood orange, mint, white pepper, rose petal and chalk weave through layers of vibrant red-toned fruit. Here, too, the Grand Vin impresses with its noble purity and understated grace. Elevage is 50% foudre/50% new oak for the Cabernet Franc, and 60% new oak/40% once-filled barrels for the Merlot. I can`t wait to see how this ages. 95-97+ points

A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2025 Angélus is already beautifully harmonious, even at this early stage. Unfurling in the glass with notes of sweet dark berries and plums mingled with notions of violets, licorice and spices, it`s medium- to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with ripe tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. Much like its 2022 predecessor, the 2025 underlines that this estate`s shift toward greater purity and subtler élevage choices can be sustained even in historically warm years. 96-98 points

The depths are immediately apparent, clear polished stones, liquorice root, olive pit, espresso, cappuccino, full of the luscious signature of the estate, clutches of sage and freshly cut herbs, savoury with a pumice stone climb through the palate. Benjamin Laforêt technical director. Harvest September 10 to 20, 30hl/ha yield, 3.65ph. The Boüard-owned Château Bellevue plots have been included in here as of 2022, ad you can imagine that this vintage really benefited from its limestone soils. As of 2026 vintage Angelus will be made in the new cellar. 97 points

The 2025 Angelus was picked from September 10 to 20 and Stephanie de Bouard told me that they halved the pumpovers. The Cabernet Franc is aged half in foudres and half in new barrel, and the Merlot is half in new barrel and half in one-year-old barrels that were used for the 2023 vintage. The alcohol is 14.05% with a pH of 3.6, many grapes showing a gram or more malic acid. This note comes from a narrower Riedel glass that showed the wine in a better and more accurate light. The bouquet opens with blackberry, raspberry, light cassis scents and a touch of iodine, well defined, the oak seated politely in the background. The palate is silky smooth with filigree tannins, very well judged acidity plus palpable underlying sapid notes that come through towards the finish. Fine tension, very focused with a very persistent aftertaste, this is an Angélus with great potential and it should give 25 to 30 years` drinking pleasure. 95-97 points