Here is my take on Chateau Angelus today, meanwhile I will share my rencontre (Q & A) with de Boüard, the Deputy Managing Director of Château Angélus, who joined the estate in June 2012 same year September 2012, Château Angélus was upgraded in the official 2012 St.emilion classification to Premier Grand Cru Classé (A).
Only 4 St.Emilion estate share that honor.
The style of Chateau Angelus is pure silk and velvet. It’s a rich, full bodied and concentrated, stemilion wine, offering silky textures that’s filled with luscious, opulent, spicy dark fruit, liquorice, spice and truffle that ages well.
Chateau Angelus, a Saint-Emilion estate promoted to top status of Premier Grand Cru Classe A in 2012, cut output of its main wine by 40 percent to 45 percent in 2013 to protect a vintage it says is “easy drinking.” Proportionately more grapes went into the estate’s second and third labels to boost quality in the flagship wine.
A.Gravity flow cellar: everything in the cellar moves by gravity flow.
While having further discussion she also added “I will be keeping more bottled wine back this year.
The 2011 vintage is the first release on the market under my control and I kept 20% of it back. My father used to keep back much less and now we have a stock problem, so he supports the move. “We still believe in the en primeur system but we will start selling a little less of our wines en primeur. It’s important to keep a certain amount back for auctions, receptions and events.”
A. We’ve just bought a restaurant in St Emilion called Logis de la Cadene, so that’s another thing to add to my ‘to do’ list, but fortunately I have a great team.
A.The bottle, which will be released later this year, was the brainchild of de Boüard, who wanted to celebrate Angélus’ elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” status in September 2012 with “something special.”
Having released a bespoke black bottle etched with 21.7 caret gold for the 2012 vintage, Angelus’ 2013 label uses an old fashioned printing method and has an embossed bell. We worked with a local company on the design. I knew we had to use the bell as the focal point and I chose a black bottle as it contrasts so well with the gold.
The estate has already sold 80% of the 80,000-bottle production in 2012 en primeur.
A. First about the vat’s in 2000, three different vats had been introduced, concrete vats, stainless steel and open top, oak vats. There are 7 stainless steel vats, concrete and open top, oak vats. The vats are on average 70 hectoliters, with some smaller vats of 50 hectoliters.
A.
1. the vineyard yield is restricted to 800kg per hectare rather than 9,000 (which translates to 55hl per hectre rather than 65)
2. the grapes (with the significant exception of Merlot) must be harvest with a “must” weight of at least 189 grams of sugar per liter rather than 180
3. the finished wine must reach a minimum alcohol level of 11.5% AVB rather than 11%
4. the wine must be stored by the producer for an extra 14 months before being released for sale
A.Always via Negocé! Marketing Strategy: to close to be the consumer! At the end, few lines from the deputy director, “The Level of ecstasy…to consume to be.” A lot of improvement in the quality from past 230 years.
Let’s discover the vintage that I have tasted during my visit and what’s their market value. According to the Liv-ex market price (Octobre 2016) vintage 2007 cost £2,800 vintage 2011 cost £2160 and vintage 2013 cost £1,950
Stéphanie de Bouard– Deputy Managing Director, for the interview
Mr. Laurent benoit for the tastings
Hélène Pasquiet for arranging the meetings
CREDIT:Stephanie de Boüard, photo credit: Colin Hampden-White
Angélus wine bottles, the gravity flow wine cellar, photo credit: winesutra
