2019 Ch Angelus Premier Grand Cru Classé, St-Émilion

An extremely refined and sharpened Angelus with super fine tannins and sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and so very polished. Silky. Very subtle. Bright blue fruit, black fruit and stones. Supple and minerally. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc.

A supremely elegant Angélus full of power. Here the quality of the fruit and the depth of plum, damson, black cherry and cassis is evident, along with tension, freshness - a slow melding of flavour through the palate with concentration and depth. Liquorice root and baked earth come in from the mid palate and this has the feeling of a being a serious wine that is going to go the distance. The exuberance and confidence of Angelus comes as it opens, with the flavours and texture fattening up. The wine will be aged for one year 30hl new oak casks, and then go into barrel but without new oak for the last 10 months. The low pH means maybe a little less fleshy than usual with Angélus, certainly less so than the 2018. This gets better and better in the glass, strongly recommend giving this time. 3.6pH.Drinking Window 2027 - 2044

97 points Jane Anson decanter.com

The 2019 Angélus has a sophisticated bouquet with extraordinarily pure blackberry, raspberry, inkwell and crushed iris petals scents, like the Carillon but HD in terms of its clarity. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, the Cabernet component steering it towards say, Figeac or Cheval Blanc stylistically. It already feels very harmonious, the satin-like texture is supported by real substance and grip on the finish, perhaps more density than some of its peers. This is an outstanding Angélus, one likely to surpass the 2016, a wine that will give 30-40 years of pleasure, maybe more.

96-98 points Neal Martin vinous.com

The 2019 Angélus is absolutely brilliant. Rich and driving in intensity, yet also light on its feet for such a big wine, Angélus has a ton to offer in 2019. Red/purplish fruit licorice, new leather, cinnamon, grilled herbs and lavender add striking layers of character nuance. The 2019 is super-elegant and precise, but with all of the textural richness readers have come to expect from Angélus. The blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc quite expressive, especially in the wine's aromatic profile. One of the recent developments has been a move towards a greater use of cask for the Franc, an approach that has so far paid off handsomely.

Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal described 2019 as a year marked by an alternation of hot days and cool nights, with the most severe heat in June. PHs were lower across the board than in 2018. I was especially impressed by the No. 3 de Angélus and Le Carillon d'Angélus, which seem to benefit from the strong year and a new winemaking facility dedicated to their production. As for the Grand Vin, well it is truly Grand.

95-97 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com