CHÂTEAU ANGÉLUS

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. Inky crimson. Redolent of classy and spicy oak but the fruit fragrance is there too, waiting to emerge after the chocolate dies back. A fine note of graphite and Cabernet Franc leafy (but fully ripe) freshness. Spicy and fresh on the palate. Rich and finely textured, with the oak giving way to the fruit on the palate. Very good balance even at this early stage. Savoury dark-chocolate, clean finish. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 17.5+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)

Emmanuelle has been making wine here for 22 years now. The freshness of the Merlot in 2017 reminds her of 2001 - I would certainly agree, and maybe with a hint of 2014 too. It's a beautiful wine, voluptuous but elegant. These vines were not frosted, but the Cabernet Franc produced less than usual, and they also made an extremely careful selection overall, leading to a yield of 30hl/ha. The wine has great complexity, which is a standout character in 2017, with bilberries, charcoal and plush damson - the Angelus signature of power and glamour. There is good tannic density here and it will clearly merit long ageing. 85,000 bottles of Angelus produced, representing around 80% of total production. Matured in 100% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)

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. Rating: 93-96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)

A layered and fine-grained young Angelus with very focused and integrated tannins that give the young wine form and focus. Full body and a subtle and fascinating fruit character. Should turn out beautifully. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)

Hubert de Boüard de Laforest was a veritable mine of information on how the frost hit the various right bank appellations. With specific regard to Angélus, he lost two parcels of Cabernet Franc to the frost, both parcels near the foot of the vineyard and thus more vulnerable. This had a significant effect on the blend, as it reduced the amount of Cabernet Franc available for the grand vin. These days there is 47% Cabernet Franc in the vineyard, and in recent years the blend of the first wine has been quite close to this figure, but in 2017 the reduced volume available after the frost was pushing the blend downwards to just 20% Cabernet Franc. Hubert and his team didn’t feel this brought the Angélus style to the wine, so they chose to declassify some Merlot, bringing the Cabernet Franc up to 30% of the volume, the other 70% all Merlot. Aromatically this shows plenty of high quality oak, as is often the case here, with praline, cinnamon and toast coming in ahead of the fruit. The palate shows a very elegant repose, with a supple, broad and almost juicy-fresh character to the structure, with red cherry fruit wrapped in oaky praline and spices, dancing around some very grippy but controlled tannins and fresh acidity. Bright and medium-bodied, with plenty of grip, this is long, spiced, defined and focused. Overall it is a very imposing but elegant example of Angélus, with a long thread of tannic energy in the finish. Very good. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)