Château Angélus 2016

The history of Château Angélus is intimately linked to its geographical location, as it was the only place around the village of Saint-Emilion where you could hear the sound of the angelus (L'Angélus in the singular, Christian prayer of the Western Catholic Church) from three surrounding churches: the Mazerat chapel, the church of Saint-Martin and the church of Saint-Emilion.

In 1782, Jean de Boüard de Laforest settled in Saint-Emilion, and his daughter Sophie settled on the Mazerat vineyard, owned by Charles Souffrain, whom she married in 1795. The de Boüard de Laforest family would thus remain at the head of Domaine, and it was Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, an oenologist by training, who would contribute to its great renown from 1985 onwards, by introducing innovative practices. His daughter Stéphanie joined the adventure in 2012, embodying the eighth generation. The passionate management of Château Angélus year after year is above all a family affair.

The Château Angélus was named Grand Cru Classé when the Saint-Emilion classification was created in 1955, due to the great reputation it already enjoyed at the time. In 2012, it reached the pinnacle, earning the title of Premier Grand Cru Classé "A", a distinction up to and including the 2021 vintage. At the start of 2022, Domaine opted to withdraw from the classification, the next edition of which was due to be made official in September of the same year. As a result, from the 2022 vintage onwards, the label of Château Angélus will mention only the Saint-Emilion appellation Grand Cru. 

The Château Angélus is planted on a 27-hectare vineyard, on slopes with clay soils as well as on pied de côte with clay-limestone soils. The grape varieties are 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are aged for 18 to 22 months in French oak barrels.

The estate produces a Second wine, Carillon d'Angélus, vinified in an outside cellar at Château, which is entirely dedicated to it.

The Château Angélus is renowned for its complex, structured and particularly elegant wines, whose refinement is matched only by the family passion through which they were born.