A perfect wine in every way, the 2009 Chateau Angelus checks in alongside the 1990, 2000, 2005, 2018, 2019, and 2020 as the finest vintages from this incredible estate. Still deep ruby-hued with no bricking, it has a mammoth-sized bouquet of cassis, smoked tobacco, flowery incense, truffly earth, and chocolate that’s to die for. These all carry over to the palate, which has full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, ripe building tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. As I wrote the last time I tasted this elixir, it offers an amazing amount of both hedonistic and intellectual pleasure. It has at least another 2-3 decades of prime drinking ahead of it.

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Angelus is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It swans out of the glass with gregarious notions of Indian spices, kirsch, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, leading to wafts of candied violets, licorice, and clove oil. The full-bodied palate is so, so plush, jam-packed with multi-layered black fruits, finishing very long and beautifully fragrant.

Blended of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet colored 2009 Angélus sings of blackberry preserves, warm black cherries, stewed plums and dried herbs with hints of Chinese five spice, fragrant earth, truffles and new leather. Full, rich, spicy and decadent in the mouth, it has a plush, velvety texture and well-knit freshness, finishing very long with tons of spicy layers. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Visually and aromatically this is opulent, with glass-staining purple alongside smoked spice, cumin, incense, crushed liquorice and rocks, mocha, tobacco, blackberry, fragrant spice box and toasted plums. There is tension through the palate also, and this is at the very beginning of its drinking window, with decades ahead of it. 100% new oak for ageing. Emmanuel Fulchi technical director. Harvest September 23 to October 14 with a gap in between the two grape varieties. These were the years where Angélus was beginning to keep more stock back at the estate, but still not a lot left, and it is not an easy vintage to find - but you will be very happy if you do.

The perfume delivers with ease its complex array of coffee bean, licorice, dark cocoa, plums, cherry and truffle. On the palate, the wine is full, rich, dense and intense, with a silky, cashmere texture and layers of fruit. This is developing quite well and it could pop another point if it continues on its upward trajectory.

Intense chocolate and turmeric spices hit you right form the first moment. This is richly textured with a palate that is still almost primary fruit - an intense and impressive wine, with blackberry and black cherry fruits dominant, given balance and freshness by eucalyptus and mint leaf, helped no doubt by the Cabernet Franc that is such a signature of Angélus. Plenty of swagger here, vintage taking precedence over terroir at this stage of its life, and I would suggest giving it another few years in bottle before drinking. Harvest September 25th to October 14th.

If you've ever eaten really good British Christmas cake then you know what this lavish 2009 St.-Emilion smells and tastes like. Every bit as rich as it is polished with a long moderately dry finish packed with powdery tannins. Drink or hold.

Rich and rather stolid now this features a wall of roasted apple wood and charcoal flavors in front of the dense core of black Mission fig steeped black currant fruit and espresso notes. Extremely dense on the finish but the inlaid spice and tobacco hints are there just beneath the surface needing only extended cellaring to emerge fully. One of the larger-scaled efforts of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035. -JM

Closed at this stage, this promises a huge, ripe future. Toast and spice notes are balanced around a black plum flavor. The dense, dark tannins create a brooding character, which is balanced by freshness on the finish. Give this wine at least 10 years.