2020 Angélus, St-Emilion (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1539461
98-100 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Angélus has an opaque purple-black color, pulling you in with a captivating perfume of kirsch, Black Forest cake, ripe plums, violets and molten licorice, followed by wafts of underbrush, raspberry leaves and graphite, plus a hint of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already offers beautiful balance and expression at this nascent stage, featuring bright, crunchy red and black fruits with remarkable energy and tension. Its amazingly plush, silken texture carries all these shimmering flavors to a very long and fragrant finish. This jaw-dropping expression of 2020 is simply stunning. (LPB)
(5/2021)
98-99 points
James Suckling
This is wonderfully refined and balanced with such pretty depth. Full-bodied and so polished and pure. Subtle at first, then it takes off and keeps coming. Sophisticated.
(4/2021)
97-99 points
Wine Enthusiast
This wine brings together all the best elements of the vintage. It shows concentrated tannins laced with a velvety texture and a sustained intensity of black fruits. It shows a strong mineral element in the texture that gives complexity and a fine edge at the end. Obviously, it's a wine for long-term aging. (RV)
(4/2021)
96-98 points
Vinous
The 2020 Angélus is shaping up to be tremendous. Bright and punchy, with terrific energy, the 2020 is more linear and focused than any recent vintages I can remember tasting. Crushed red berry fruit, iron, smoke, mint, chalk and dried herbs all build in the glass. In 2020, Angélus is less flashy than it can be. That is a very good thing, for those who can wait. Harvest took place between September 18 to 30. One of the major evolutions here in recent years has been the use of foudres to age the Cabernet Franc. Half of the Franc is now raised in large format oak, and that seems to bringing added freshness to the Grand Vin. (AG)
(6/2021)
97 points
Decanter
Supple damson fruits, I love the aromatics on this and the striking fruits. Silky in texture, balanced and elegant, there are big tannins that slowly but surely creep up on you through the palate. This is a sleek, poised, and confidently-constructed Angélus, with depth to the olive, chocolate, cassis body and a crushed mint leaf kiss on the finish. As often with this vintage it is not an exuberant hug, it is more about discreet power and gorgeous stealing-up of flavours and textures giving depth and subtle power. (JA)
(4/2021)
95-97 points
Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2020 Château Angélus, which has the fresh, pure, incredible style favored by the estate today yet still has beautiful concentration and depth. Lots of ripe black cherries, mulberries, and cassis as well as violets, white flowers, tobacco, and dark chocolate define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, incredibly elegant mouthfeel, flawless tannins, and a great finish. While I don't think it's going to match the magical 2018, it's not far off and is unquestionably a gorgeous wine.
(5/2021)
K&L Notes
95-97 points Neal Martin in Vinous: "The 2020 Angélus was given 30–40 minutes to open. It has a very intense nose of multilayered blackberry, blueberry and wild strawberry scents, crushed violet and hints of iodine. It is quintessential Angélus in many ways, sleek and smooth, harmonious and seductive. Those qualities also come through on the palate. This is framed by fine tannins, the Cabernet components coming through strongly on the midpalate. Quite ferrous in some ways, allspice and subtle minty notes lending complexity toward the finish. It is not quite as persistent as the recently tasted 2018 from bottle, but it comes across a little more chiseled and intellectual." (5/2021)
