Chateau Angelus 2013
Chateau Angelus 2013, until 1990 known as Château L’Angélus, or simply L’Angélus, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, since 2012 ranked Premier grand cru classé (A) in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located on the Right Bank of the Bordeaux wine region, in the commune of Saint-Émilion in the department Gironde.
Château Angelus is one of the largest and most prestigious St-Emilion estates and was promoted to 1er grand cru classé status in the 1996 St-Emilion reclassification. Passionately managed for over four generations, Angelus is owned and run by two cousins, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, and Jean-Bernard Grenie and is located in the centre-west of the St-Emilion appellation, due west of St-Emilion town.
Angelus’s vineyards, 57.8 acres, situated less than a kilometer away from the famous St Emilion steeple, enjoys a perfect southerly-exposed slope – Cabernet Franc (which makes up 48% of the blend) is grown at the bottom of the slope, where the soil is sandier and warmer, while the Merlot (50% of the blend) is grown in the limestone-rich clay soils at the top of the slope. The wine is matured in 100% new oak for 18 months. Rich, concentrated and complex, Angelus needs at least five years of bottle age before it should be approached.
Chateau Angelus History, Overview
Chateau Angelus has one of the longer histories in the St. Emilion appellation. The de Bouard family has a long history in the region. In fact, the de Bouard family has been in Bordeaux for more than 700 years. They arrived in St. Emilion in 1782.
However, even though Chateau Angelus has been around for quite a while, the chateau does not have the same track record as the family. Compared to the current owners, Angelus is mere baby having been born in 1782. That was the year when Georges de Bouard began purchasing vineyard land in the Saint Emilion area.
Skipping ahead a few hundred years, Catherine de Bouard de Laforest began living at a St. Emilion property known as Chateau Mazerat at the close of the 18th century.
The true birth of what we know of as Chateau Angelus begins in 1909 when Maurice de Bouard de La Forest inherited the vineyard owned by his ancestor. In 1921, Maurice de Bouard de La Forest purchased a 3.5 hectare parcel of vines known as L’Angelus and the estate was born.
The addition of 13 hectares of prime vineyard land acquired by Maurice de Bouard de La Forest further increased their holdings. Maurice de Bouard de La Forest continued adding more vineyard land and was soon referring to the property as Clos de L’Angelus.
Once those vines were purchased from the Gruchy family, that also owned Chateau Laroze. Over the years, the family continued expanding their vineyards. This includes a 3 hectare parcel on the St. Emilion, limestone, plateau that was purchased from the precursor to Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot.
Chateau Angelus earned its name from a common, everyday event. On a daily basis, the people working their Bordeaux vineyards heard the sound of the bells from three local churches. That sound inspired the now famous name of the chateau as well as the logo and the sculpture of the logo that appears in the backyard of the property.
