Exceptional clarity and transparency of fruit here, showing blackberries, red berries and cedar with violet and rose undertones and a layer of crushed stones and chalk. Medium- to full-bodied with a caressing mouthfeel. Tannins are dense but not heavy. The long, flavorful finish is very spicy with white pepper and cloves. Pure and complex. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Give this four or five years to come around. Try after 2029.

(96-98 points) The nose pops with its bouquet of flowers, mint, tobacco leaf, licorice, and black cherries, The essence in this wine it its purity balanced with its racy, freshness. The finish delivers soft, long, energetic, red berries with nuances of espresso, chalk, crushed stone, cherries, plums, and cocoa. There is depth, and concentration but the wine feels light on its feet. The Cabernet Franc makes an impression in 2023. The team was nervous about the vintage until the first days in September before they knew the vintage was going to be special. The key to the vintage was in part due to longer fermentations at cooler temperatures, which never rose above 22 Celsius, along with no sulfur during the fermentations which aided the wines elegance and purity. The wine blends 60% Merlot, with 40% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.65 pH. Harvesting took place, September 6 - September 28. Drink from 2029-2060. 96-98 Pts.

Gorgeous nose, floral and scented with roses and violets, expressive strawberries and raspberries and some herbal elements. Full and filling, but soft and smooth, almost crushed velvet in texture. It’s not so tense and straight but has a solid backbone of freshness and plush fruit but very cool. It’s more on the structured side than overt acidity, serious but still with crunchy blueberries, chalky blackcurrant, lots of graphite and minerality on the finish. Less fruit forward than some but layered with complexity - a subtle opulence. Fleshy ripe tannins with mouthwatering acidity adding a serious touch. It’s missing that Angelus hug on the mid palate, but I like it a lot and you can’t fault the refinement and precision on show. It’s got body, length, tannins, crunch, freshness, and a vein of minerality underpinning the expression. 3.65pH. Harvest September 14 to October 1.

Cocoa bean, liquorice, pomegranate, smoked earth, sage, anis, fennel, slate tannins, this combines nuanced and sinewy tannins with a generous supple expansion through the palate, building in power and impact. Beautifully fragrant, measured and skilful. 50% in foudres for Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak for the Merlot. Harvest September 14 through to October 1, Benjamin Laforest winemaker, Stephane de Boüard-Rivoal owner.

(JD 93-96 points) The 2023 Château Angélus is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that’s fermented in its individual parcels and isn't blended until very late. It's very much in the more fresh, focused, precise style of this château and has a beautiful nose of ripe black raspberries, cassis, spicy wood, melted crayons, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Angélus with remarkable purity, ultra-fine tannins, and beautiful overall balance. It's certainly not the biggest or richest Angélus, but it has incredible purity, focus, and elegance.

(WA 95-96 points) A classic blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Angélus reflects this estate's continuing evolution with regard to ripeness, extraction and élevage choices, offering up attractive aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of mint, potpourri, rose petals, vine smoke and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with a velvety attack that segues into a core of pure, pillowy fruit framed by supple, powdery tannins, it's cool and harmonious, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific effort that foregrounds the vintage and the terroir at their best. - William Kelley

(95+ points) The 2023 Angelus is structured and fine with the telltale freshness of the vintage mixed with red berries and a precise fruity expression. It has an impressive fruity core and lots of cassis and red berries to offer in the taste and should develop nicely. However, it also has a serious backbone of masked tannins that should support this beauty in its development. It should be able to merit an even higher rating with further development. - Ivar Bjurner

The 2023 Angélus has an intense and potent bouquet with exuberant black cherries, bilberry, peony and subtle menthol scents. Well defined, perhaps not quite as precise as the very best recent vintages from the estate, yet you cannot help falling for its charms. The palate is medium-bodied with, again, intense red and black fruit interlaced with licorice, white pepper and graphite, the latter emanating from the contribution of 40% Cabernet Franc. Satisfying freshness and vitality here, this Angélus will need four to five years in bottle and then should give 20 to 25 years of drinking pleasure. By Neal Martin on February 2026