2001 Château Angélus

This is a wine that I have loved for many years, and continues to deliver at the top of its game. It showcases the seductive exuberance of Angélus, with its liquorice root, truffle and black chocolate generosity, alongside juicy but now softened blackberry and black cherry fruits, all wrapped up with silky tannins and a ton of grilled oak. Powerful, and very beautiful. 100% new oak. Tasted for a Decanter masterclass.

The 2001 Angélus is, without question, superior on the nose compared directly with its millennial counterpart. Displaying much more freshness and vitality, this springs from the glass with black cherries, asphalt, mint and juniper. The medium-bodied palate offers grainy tannins and melted red fruit mixed with tar, tobacco and spice. There is a little reserve toward the finish, as if it’s holding something back for the long term. This is a thoroughly enjoyable 2001, drinking beautifully now but set to continue its evolution for another decade or so. 13.5% alcohol. (NM)

A real sleeper of the vintage, and somewhat underrated and under the radar after the greatness of 2000, the 2001 Angelus is on a faster evolutionary track than the 2000, but it is a plush, sexy, succulent style of Angelus with a dense plum/purple color, loads of chocolate, blueberry and blackberry fruit, telltale floral scents in the intense fragrance, and a lush, voluptuously textured and opulent mouthfeel. This wine seems to have entered its plateau of maturity, where it should stay for at least another 10-15 years. It is a major sleeper of the vintage.