At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Saint Émilion
- Main grapes
- Merlot and Cabernet Franc
- Listed wine
- Château Angélus
- Defining feature
- Vineyard in a natural amphitheatre overlooked by three Saint Émilion churches
The Producer
Tempo d’Angélus brings a Bordeaux appellation wine made from Angélus terroirs and techniques into the range alongside Château Angélus, Carillon d’Angélus and No. 3 d’Angélus. Château Angélus is a Saint Émilion château whose wines centre on Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Château Angélus 2023 is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Stéphanie de Boüard Rivoal represents the eighth family generation to lead the estate.
Place
The Château Angélus vineyard sits in Saint Émilion, Bordeaux. Tempo d’Angélus is made under the Bordeaux appellation, so the range places a wider regional label beside wines tied to the estate’s Saint Émilion setting.
Soil And Site
The vineyard is situated in a natural amphitheatre overlooked by the three Saint Émilion churches. The physical description centres on this enclosed landscape, while no soil composition, elevation, exposure or drainage detail is specified.
Story
Hubert de Boüard de Laforest took management of the estate in 1985. Stéphanie de Boüard Rivoal took leadership in 2012 as the eighth family generation.
The farming changed in 2018, when Château Angélus moved to 100% organic farming, followed by organic certification. In January 2022, Stéphanie de Boüard announced that Château Angélus would no longer be part of the Saint Émilion Classification. The estate’s recent history therefore includes both a complete farming change and a departure from the classification.
Vineyards And Cellar
For the 2009 vintage, Château Angélus added a 60 person line for manual berry by berry destemming. Destemming removes the stems before fermentation, so the grapes enter the vat without whole stem material.
For Château Angélus 2023, oak ageing lasted 20 months. Just over half the Cabernet Franc aged in foudres, while the Merlot aged in new oak. A foudre is a large oak vessel, so the two grape varieties followed different oak regimes.
Wines
Château Angélus is a wine in the range. Carillon d’Angélus is a separate wine in the range. No. 3 d’Angélus is blended with 85 to 90% Merlot, made for instant enjoyment, and can benefit from five to eight years of cellaring.
Tempo d’Angélus is the later addition made under the Bordeaux appellation from Angélus terroirs and techniques. The range includes labels designed for earlier drinking.
In The Glass
Château Angélus 2023 opens with dark berries and plums, followed by mint, potpourri, rose petals, vine smoke and orange zest. The palate is medium to full bodied, fleshy and supple, with a velvety attack and supple, powdery tannins. Its bouquet is crisp and precise, with a pleasant saline edge, fine grained tannins and a long, perfumed finish.
Carillon d’Angélus shows pure fruit aromas, velvety tannins and a finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Tempo d’Angélus 2023. It is a Bordeaux appellation wine made from Angélus terroirs and techniques, with Merlot leading and Cabernet Franc present in the blend. Red fruit and floral aromas arrive first, followed by delicate spicy and black fruit notes from Cabernet Franc. Silky, velvety tannins give the wine its shape, while its more streamlined style makes it approachable young.
Anecdote
Jean François Millet immortalised the Angelus devotional prayer in his painting ‘The Angelus’. The prayer was the same one associated with the bells heard around the Château Angélus vineyard in the morning, at midday and in the evening. The sound called workers to stop for a few minutes and pray. Millet’s painting is now on show in Paris’s Musée d’Orsay. The estate’s name comes from that prayer, linking the Saint Émilion vineyard to a painting displayed in Paris.
Final Word
Château Angélus is a Saint Émilion château whose wines pair Merlot and Cabernet Franc with organic farming and a range that includes a Bordeaux appellation wine made from Angélus terroirs and techniques.