Chateau Angelus 2017

Professional Ratings

• 97 James Suckling

  This is so pure and aromatic with a level of complexity and refinement for the vintage that few have. Sweet tobacco, flowers, herbs and stone with underlying richness of fruit. It opens on the palate to a full body that is tight and reserved with an extremely focused tannin mouth feel. Length and excitement at the end. Very polished Angélus. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Drink in 2024 and onwards.

• 97 Jeb Dunnuck

  The top wine here is terrific, and the 2017 Chateau Angelus is in the top two or three wines on the Right Bank. Checking in as 70% Merlot and a full 30% Cabernet Franc, it shows the slightly more elegant, polished style favored at the estate these days yet still packs ample richness and depth. Deep purple-hued with awesome creme de cassis-like fruit as well as plenty of unsmoked tobacco, new saddle leather, white truffle, and white chocolate aromas and flavors, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a wine of power and elegance. You could be excused for drinking bottles even today, but ideally, it should be given 7-8 years of bottle age, at which point it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years.

• 96 Wine Spectator
  This is jazzed up a bit, with dark anise and black tea aromatics leading off, followed by juicy blackberry, boysenberry and bramble notes. Has some flashy spice on the finish and some expensive-feeling toast, but everything is in lockstep as this moves along.
  Barrel Sample: 93-96
• 96 Wine Enthusiast

   While this wine has density and richness, the structure gives it an ageworthy shape. Its power is tamed and given sophistication, while acidity and black-plum flavors give freshness. The wine will be impressive. Drink from 2024.

• 96 Decanter

  Some frost impact (seen in the 70% Merlot and lower Cabernet Franc than usual), but clearly not getting in the way of success, this Angélus has flesh, texture, depth of colour and plenty of succulent autumnal fruit. Without the concentration of the biggest years but still full of quality, clarity, precision. Tried in both bottle and carafe, which gave an excellent insight into how it will age - the aromatics come through more clearly after just 10 minutes in the carafe, and the width and depth to the blackberry and blueberry fruits increase, as does the tension through the palate. Hangs on too, this is good.

• 95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  Composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Angélus wafts slowly, sensuously out of the glass with notes of warm red currants, Black Forest cake, blackberry compote and pencil shavings with nuances of rose oil, black tea, cloves and cumin seed. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully elegant and refreshing, sporting very finely grained tannins and layers of red and black fruit preserves, finishing long with mineral fireworks. What a beauty!