2003 Chateau l’Angelus, Premier Grand Cru Classe, St. Emilion
Deep ruby-red. Very ripe yet fresh on the nose: cherry, raspberry, graphite, chocolate, minerals. Lush, velvety and sweet, with unusual vivacity for a 2003 from the right bank thanks to the 50% cabernet franc component. Really coats the mouth with flavors of black raspberry, currant and chocolate. Not yet hugely complex, but the wine's freshness, ripe tannins and superb persistence suggest that aging will bring greater nuance. Has the stuffing to buffer its chewy tannins. This was bottled in September of 2005.
2003 Chateau l’Angelus, Premier Grand Cru Classe, St. Emilion
Deep ruby-red. Very ripe yet fresh on the nose: cherry, raspberry, graphite, chocolate, minerals. Lush, velvety and sweet, with unusual vivacity for a 2003 from the right bank thanks to the 50% cabernet franc component. Really coats the mouth with flavors of black raspberry, currant and chocolate. Not yet hugely complex, but the wine's freshness, ripe tannins and superb persistence suggest that aging will bring greater nuance. Has the stuffing to buffer its chewy tannins. This was bottled in September of 2005.
Vinous
Full medium ruby. Aromas of black raspberry, roasted redcurrant, bitter chocolate, game and flowers. Dense, full and broad, with a chocolatey ripeness leavened by a floral element. Extremely primary and sappy, with no lack of lift. But despite its impressive sweetness in the middle palate, this is a bit youthfully brutal today and not yet pliant. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that reach the front teeth, and excellent length. This should be one of the top St. Emilions of the vintage but is rather austere today and will need a good eight to ten years to approach maturity.
90-93 Points
By Stephen Tanzer / May 2004
Vinous
(56% cabernet franc and 44% merlot; 14.2% alcohol) Saturated ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry, violet, coffee, mocha and tar; slightly muted today but not at all cooked. Then suave and minerally in the mouth, with dense, supple, slightly chunky flavors of cherry and mentholatum. Has huge but even tannins, but the tannins arrive very late, allowing the wine’s finishing sweetness to build. Bouard picked the merlot very early in 2003, then waited 15 days to harvest his cabernet franc.
91-93 Points
By Stephen Tanzer / May 2005
Vinous
(56% cabernet franc and 44% merlot; 14.2% alcohol) Saturated ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry, violet, coffee, mocha and tar; slightly muted today but not at all cooked. Then suave and minerally in the mouth, with dense, supple, slightly chunky flavors of cherry and mentholatum. Has huge but even tannins, but the tannins arrive very late, allowing the wine’s finishing sweetness to build. Bouard picked the merlot very early in 2003, then waited 15 days to harvest his cabernet franc.
91-93 Points
By Stephen Tanzer / December 2014
Vinous
Full medium ruby. Aromas of black raspberry, roasted redcurrant, bitter chocolate, game and flowers. Dense, full and broad, with a chocolatey ripeness leavened by a floral element. Extremely primary and sappy, with no lack of lift. But despite its impressive sweetness in the middle palate, this is a bit youthfully brutal today and not yet pliant. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that reach the front teeth, and excellent length. This should be one of the top St. Emilions of the vintage but is rather austere today and will need a good eight to ten years to approach maturity.
90-93 Points
By Stephen Tanzer / December 2014