CHÂTEAU ANGÉLUS
2022 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. 100% new oak with half of the Cabernet Franc goes into 30hl foudres for some of the Cabernet Franc. 14.5% alc. 3.65 pH. Harvest too place between 6 – 28 September. The Cabernet Franc vines at Angélus did not suffer during the summer at all thanks to their deep roots, and, come harvest time, the pickers could wait until the optimum moment to bring the bunches in. Angélus is rightly obsessed with this magical grape, and its part played in this wine is tremendous. The deeply powerful grape skins and ripe tannins needed to be tempered and controlled, so the winemaking techniques at Angélus in 2022 were as gentle as possible. This means that the tasting sensation is one of gradual and determined augmentation of flavour. All of the action sits at the back of the palate, and it starts quietly and gently and then inflates gently like a hot air balloon of flavour broadened and extending across the palate. The fruit notes are super-complex and hugely layered, and there is no drop-off or pause in the persistence of these flavours. While this is already an impressive wine, it will surely be regarded as a genuinely iconic vintage for Angélus. The oak notes are measured and commanding, and even though the fruit is robust and dark, the oak fanfare is already stunningly integrated. This is a super-polished wine with every molecule facing the same direction, and I learned that it was patently clear, at harvest time, that this stood the chance of being a legendary vintage for Angélus, and it seems to me that none of this potential was lost in the winery. Rating: 19.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2022 Angélus is racy and super-expressive right out of the gate. These days a more restrained style has become the norm at Angélus, and yet there is plenty of mid-palate pliancy and overall richness. As good as this is, the most impressive 2022s I tasted at Angélus were straight out of barrel, which makes me think the Grand Vin could perhaps be at another level with a bit more selection. Even so, the 2022 is quite alluring. Drinking range: 2030 - 2052 Rating: 93-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Purple-black hue. Dense, dark and spicy. Beautifully textured, the tannins ripe and smooth. Plenty of lift and no exaggeration. Firm, long and crunchy on the finish. Substantial but measured. (JL) 14.5% Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 17.5+ James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
Precision and freshness here, with fennel, aniseed, marzipan, cassis, incense, cigar, black cherry, mint leaf and ink, with a slow build of subtle aromatics, and a cooling uplift on the finish. An exceptional wine that will reward long ageing, but captures the luscious, exuberant quality of the vintage without ever stepping over the line. 100% new oak for the barrels, with 20% of the production (Cabernet Franc only) to be aged in larger oak casks. Organic farming (with their own farm growing produce for their restaurants and for vineyard treatments). This vintage also shows one of the benefits of leaving the classification, which has become official as of 2022 - the de Boüard family is able to expand the footprint for the main wine of Angélus this year with 3ha of Château Bellevue (which has now been officially split and passed entirely back into the hands of the co-owners the de Lavaud family), which brings some cool soil Merlot into the blend. Harvest September 6 to 28. Rating: 97 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
So many beautiful primary fruit aromas. Al dente. Peaches. Very floral. Aromatic. Full-bodied and extremely fine tannins with length and beauty that show incredible depth. Superb brightness and reality. Exciting. Cabernet franc freshness and dynamics come through now, even though the blend is 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Rating: 98-99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Rating: 96-98 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
Château Angélus
The name Angélus supposedly derives from that of a particular vineyard where devout winemakers could hear the Angélus bell tolling from all the town’s churches.
The estate was brought by the present owner’s great-grandfather, Comte Maurice de Boüard, in 1921. He also owned another property Château Mazerat, and after World War II his sons united the two estates under its present name.
The next generation took over in the form of the dynamic Hubert de Boüard, a graduate oenologist from Bordeaux university, in 1985. Hubert felt that the Château was underperforming, and he has worked hard since to re-energise the property, aided by his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenié. Their commitment and investment was rewarded in 1996, when the Château was promoted to a Premier Grand Cru Classé.
Hubert's daughter, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, joined the team in 2012, and his nephew, Thierry Grenié de Boüard in 2016. Together they represent the eighth generation of the family to run Angélus.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.