2005 Chateau Angelus Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 3x75cl

Antonio Galloni 98

The 2005 Angelus is a gorgeous wine. Inky red fruit, mocha, espresso, dried flowers and iron give this potent, explosive Saint-Emilion tons of richness. The style is dense and heavily extracted – as was the norm at the time – and yet the 2005 is impeccably balanced. This is a magnificent showing from Hubert de Bouard, who has done so much to elevate the status of this once under-achieving property. [Antonio Galloni, 15/04/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035

Vinous 96

Good red-ruby. Deep, sweet aromas and flavors of black raspberry, cassis, graphite and licorice. Wonderfully lush, silky and seamless, with a near-perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Very full in the middle palate but with terrific verve leavening the wine’s total ripeness. This really coats the palate with flavor and the very long, slow-building finish features utterly sensual tannins. A great performance for this property. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/2008]

Wine Advocate 100

Truly great stuff, this wine performed at a three-digit level both in the horizontal tasting of 2005s in Baltimore, as well as in Montreal at this mini-vertical. This sensational, opaque, bluish/purple wine offers up notes of vanillin, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, plus a touch of licorice. The wine hits the palate with a thunderous cascade of ripe, rich, concentrated fruit. It is full-bodied, multidimensional and layered. The tannins are beautifully integrated but still present, and the wood, acidity, alcohol, etc., are all beautifully assimilated in this magnificent, majestic vintage of Angelus. It can be drunk now, but it is still an adolescent and that suggests it has at least another 25-35 years of longevity. [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 13/08/2015]

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050