This vintage didn't have much promise, although flowering had gone well.
Spring had been tricky, summer was hard, we had nothing but doubts except the fierce resolution that we would not give up and that we had to read the vines and understand their needs. We were continuously worried that the fruit would not be able to overcome the August rainfall and the September storms. Then from 30th August onwards, day after day of lovely weather and our confidence returned. We took risks and waited to start harvesting. Every day, we asked:
Do we start picking? No, we wait!
Finally, we picked the first Merlot grapes from the young vines on 2nd October, a golden month, warm and magnificent. The weather was so good, we delayed harvesting the old Merlot vines for a few days and waited for the Cabernet Franc grapes to ripen fully. This is how fickle calendars can be. A situation I had never seen before in my whole career as a winegrower! An ideal autumn for harvesting that just went on and on.
Who's the Indian? Nobody, but the summer was...
This vintage was also one of the great years for Bordeaux. At Angélus, it was acclaimed with outstanding scores from the greatest critics and unanimously hailed by all wine trade professionals. This unparalleled vintage features harmony, a balance between vigour and freshness, and aromatic precision.
2000 is a fabulous vintage in its own right, but it also conjures up the dreams of the new Millenium. It is a wine that demands superlatives with dazzling fruit that fills the mouth. It is amazingly concentrated and has a magnificent tannic structure.
In the year Château Angélus became a Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé “B”, the wines had lots of colour and displayed aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and leather. They were dense and big on the palate with finely crafted structure. This vintage showcases all the complexity of a classic great year.
Great terroirs express their distinction and even their superiority in difficult years. In 1992, despite periods of harsh weather, Angélus lavished intense care on its vines and was able to make a great wine, which is one of Bordeaux’s landmarks. It is a delight to taste with its inky robe and its nose of black fruits, liquorice, tobacco and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, it is velvet-smooth and fills the mouth and has balanced, tight tannins.
This year, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest took over the property. This was the first time that decisions concerning the vines and the work done in the cellars were taken by him alone. 1985 is therefore the year in which his initial ideas on adapting vineyard husbandry and winemaking techniques to the actual requirements of the vintage, were first put into practice. This first time, he admits that he was helped by nature, who gifted him some beautiful Merlot grapes. The 1985 vintage is very velvety and appealing. It has a roasted flavour with delicious hints of tobacco.
This very great vintage was harvested from 29th September to 17th October as related in the harvest notes kept by Jacques and Christian de Boüard de Laforest. A few bottles of these wines are opened on very special occasions at the chateau. Delightfully, these wines still have expressive bouquets, mixing tobacco with marmalade and fig jam aromas, and discernible structure supported by an enjoyable freshness.
This is the oldest bottle in the Angélus cellar. Here it lies like a warden of the past and a benevolent minder of its "descendants".
