Chateau Angélus Grand Vin Blanc
For wine enthusiasts the world over Chateau Angélus needs little introduction, one of the greatest Right Bank Chateau in the the region; the de Bouard de La Forest family has been working vines here for eight generations, since 1544, (according to the family’s records). In 1626, they purchased land in the Dordogne rural department, and by 1910 had arrived in Saint Emilion.
Maurice de Bouard de La Forest inherited Chateau Mazerat, previously owned by the Souffrain family, who had owned the property since the 1700s. In 1922, Elisabeth Bouchet, the second wife of Maurice de Bouard de La Forest purchased three and a half hectares of vines known as Clos L’Angelus, the estate was born.
This remarkable Chateau’s red wines are highly regarded throughout the world as one of the world’s great red wines, a majestic blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Such is its stature and universal appeal the wine has appeared in no less than three James Bond films throughout the decades, and a movie about iconic French diva, Edith Piaf.
I have long been an admirer of these magnificent wines and never miss an opportunity to catch up with legendary winemaker Hubert de Bouard de Laforest when he is passing through Asia, on one of his almost annual trips through the region. For me, to taste these wines is to taste greatness.
Today, the Chateau is overseen by Hubert’s daughter, Stéphanie de Bouard-Rivoal and under her guidance, the property and the family business have continued to develop, innovate, grow, and improve.
Since 2020, in collaboration, this pair have gone ‘off the grid’ as it were to create a tiny amount of Vin Blanc, the likes of which Bordeaux has never seen.
Given the varietal blend employed is technically ‘illegal’ in Bordeaux, the wine is sold as Château Angélus Grand Vin Blanc Vin de Pays de l’Atlantique, it is an unlikely, (some would say unholy) blend of the four white grape varieties – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon.
On Saturday evening, in esteemed company that featured guests from the Chateau, from Bordeaux and a new generation of young Khmer wine lovers. I was extremely fortunate to be able to drink this remarkable wine for the very first time, and whilst the vintage tagged the wine as four years old, it was like drinking a glass of tomorrow, the taste of things to come!
This wine is made in tiny quantities, up to approximately 2,000 bottles per year, and set aside for special guests visiting the winery, dinners, and events with cherished partners around the world, and a tiny fraction sold to the most loyal customers.
The evolution of this wine dates to 2017, when Hubert decided to graft Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon onto vines on the southern slope of their Castillon-la-Bataille vineyard, purchased in that same year. This specific slope consists of calcium-rich, free-draining soils and receives optimum ventilation. Hubert has said the site reminded him of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne, which in part served as the inspiration to go ahead with the wine.
A tiny four-and-a-half-acre vineyard, close-planted and hand-tended, fermentation takes place in a combination of Burgundian 228 litre barrels and a concrete egg. It undergoes partial malolactic conversion and is ages on lees for sixteen months with some battonage.
The vintage tasted was the very first release of this wine, 2020 and is a blend of Chardonnay 40%, Chenin Blanc 20%, Sauvignon Blanc 20%, and Semillon 20%.
Aromatically, this is heady stuff with white flowers, lemongrass, field herbs, tropical fruits (star fruit, kiwifruit, persimmon, custard apple), oak spice, vanilla pod, and much, much more. Complex, attractive, and seductive, it is an unmistakable invitation to ‘jump right in!”
The wine glides onto the palate, smooth, creamy, and alluring, the fruit is rich and complex, held tight and fresh by bright acidity and delightful oak, the primary characters are delightful, seamless, a complimentary synergy; whilst the length is exceptional and the structure sublime.
A nod to the great Burgundy Blanc wines perhaps, and maybe even a little wink at the new world; here is a wine that displays something beyond accomplished winemaking, here is a bold expression of talent, creativity, confidence, knowledge and understanding. The de Bourd’s have read this land, married it to an idea, a vision and done what nobody else would -or possibly even could- do: it is an unmistakable combination of great terroir, great art and pure genius. 99/100
Darren Gall
