Château Angélus is magnificent in 2014. The wine is very pent up and tightly packed with fruit but it has wonderful precision and focus on the palate. The tasting experience comes together beautifully on the finish. It is a seamless narrative, if that doesn’t sound woefully pretentious, and it makes Angélus one of the most impressive wines from the right bank in 2014. It also represents the thirtieth vintage of Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, who, despite this achievement, still looks youthful in his distinctive flowing silver locks. The quality of La Fleur de Boüard in Lalande de Pomerol is also excellent in 2014. Good wines also produced at Château Bellevue and Château Daugay in St Emilion.

The following wines were tasted at Château Angélus on Sunday, 29 March 2015. I’ll write up other notes on the St Emilion’s that de Boüard consults for in a comprehensive post on all properties tasted following next post on Château Cheval Blanc.

Château Angélus, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, ‘A’, 2014

Deep and saturated colour; tight to the rim; opaque at centre; substantial and deep if a little closed at first; some perfume; layers but this is pent up; glossy quality; tight entry; nice seam of fruit; very packed but also very precise; like the precision; slowly opens up on the mouth; lots of extract and matter but the thing here is precision; some warmth on the back end which suggests alcohol; but the precision of the fruit and the seamless narrative of the wine are the thing. Fine quality of the tannins is good. Very good length. Lots of matter here and gravity. [50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc, harvest 2-22 October]. Drink 2022-2035. 95-97

Le Carillon d’Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2014

Deep and saturated at the core; looser at the edge [than Angélus]; seductive; black fruits; some spice and savoury notes; very attractive and forward; sexy almost; smoke and meats; sweet entry; nice balance; savoury and sexy to a degree; lots of matter and structure but all very together; complete experience. Very good effort. Tannin and warmth on the finish. [70% Merlot, 30% Cabernets]. Drink 2018-2028. 90-92+

Château Bellevue, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2014

Deep and saturated glossy colour; meaty and sturdy on the nose; masculine; sweet entry to the fruit; oak but nicely integrated; plenty of depth; some perfume; chew and extract but the tannins are very nicely handled; savoury and meaty tones [but not in the bretty sense]; extract and bite on the finish together with some alcoholic warming. Full certainly. [100% Merlot]. Drink 2018-2025. 89-91

Château Daugay, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2014

Deep and saturated; slightly more earthy purple at edge; black cherry, plums with pretty violet perfume; nice saturation; big but needs a bit more tightness; very open and overt but lacks a bit in the middle; quite hefty on the alcohol and warming on the finish; doesn’t quite have the concentration or palate impression of the Lalande de Pomerol appellations. [70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Drink 2018-2025. 88-90

Château La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande de Pomerol, 2014

Deep and saturated colour; attractive aromatics; some savoury meaty notes with sexy oak highlights and pain grillé elements; very seductive aromatics; deep and attractive; fleshy; sweet entry; perfumed fruit; very lush and complete; full and plump; terrific stuff; has clarity and a degree of freshness; plenty of ripe fruit. Glossy and attractive wine. [85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Drink 2017-2028. 90-92

La Plus de La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande de Pomerol, 2014

Saturated colour; tighter even to the rim; similar levels of depth in the middle; ripe black fruits; seam of plummy black cherry fruit which is very precise; nice perfume [violets]; very attractive and seductive indeed; sweet fruit on the palate; fragrant and perfumed; rich but still manages to be light and fragrant despite the obvous depth and concentration. Very attractive stuff. Warmth on the finish, Some tobacco elements on the very finish. Will be delicious from the off. [100% Merlot]. Drink 2018-2030. 91-93