CHÂTEAU ANGLUDET

The 2022 Angludet, which was cropped at 26 hl/ha, has a delightful bouquet with black cherry, iodine and violet aromas developing with time. This has lovely purity that blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, very pure and poised with fine tannins. It's tensile and not a powerful Margaux, but very seductive with a touch of salinity urging you back on the finish. This will be ready early on but will drink well for many years. Drinking range: 2029 - 2055 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2025)

47% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot. Inky crimson. Fragrant with pure, black cassis fruit. Fine, smooth tannins, more tempered than most. Just fresh enough, polished for relatively early drinking. (JH) 13.5% Drinking range: 2027 - 2037 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Dec 2024)

47% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 65% new oak, 35% amphoras, 30% of oak is new, 13.5% alc, 26 hl/ha. Harvest took place from 6 – end September Merlot leads the way in this blend for the first time in history. The Cabernet berries were so small that they were relegated to second place in the mix! The vines had no blockage during the hot spells, and the maturity continued perfectly at Angludet. Plush, pure and superbly detailed, this is a stunningly bright and pure style with balanced alcohol levels despite the focussed, pristinely pure fruit. This is such a classy, layered and integrated wine, and Daisy Sichel explained that winemaker Ben Sichel wanted to retain a perfect natural balance in the wine, so he blended it before ageing. This is a remarkably refreshing wine, and it is pinpoint accurate. As Daisy said, “2022 was full of surprises”. And she is, of course, correct because this is a triumphant wine. I tasted it twice, once a the Château and once at the generic Margaux tasting, where it shone like a beacon against its peers. Rating: 18 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)