Bordeaux 2022

Stephanie de Bouard describes the 2022 vintage as having the ripeness of 2009 with the structure of 2016 – high praise indeed. We thought both wines really excelled this year, the oak is much less prominent than before, the wines fresher and less extracted – Bravo!

The 2022 Château Angélus is made up of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc with a pH of 3.65. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with flamboyant notes of red currant jelly, wild blueberries, cassis, and candied violets, followed by suggestions of jasmine tea, star anise, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is impactful from first sip, yet slowly expands in the mouth, ultimately over-delivering on the nose's promise with layer upon layer of perfumed black and red fruits, supported by super fine-grained, silt-like tannins, finishing long and achingly shimmery.
98/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

Deeply colored, the wine is all about its elegance in the texture. The fruits offer a level of purity and refinement that was not present in older vintages. Perfectly balanced, vibrant, long and intense, the wine is incredibly sensuous, velvety, and silky. The level of concentration remains, but the sensation here is now one of sensuality, balance, and sophistication. The silky, pure, red and black pit fruits with a cool touch of orange rind remain with you for close to 60 seconds. Fermentation at cooler temperatures and no sulfur during the fermentations helped maintain the wines elegance and purity. The wine blends 60% Merlot, and 40% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV, 3.65 pH. Harvesting took place, September 6 - September 28.
98/100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making.
96/98 William Kelley, Wine Advocate

So many beautiful primary fruit aromas. Al dente. Peaches. Very floral. Aromatic. Full-bodied and extremely fine tannins with length and beauty that show incredible depth. Superb brightness and reality. Exciting. Cabernet franc freshness and dynamics come through now, even though the blend is 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc.
98/99 James Suckling

A very fresh and vivid red with crunchy and bright character. Citrus rind as well. Medium-bodied. Fine taninned with a vivid finish. Precise.
94/95 James Suckling

Cherries, spice, licorice, plums, flowers, and a touch of citrus create the delicate perfume. On the palate, the wine continues with its refined character. Nothing is forced. Everything with this wine is about balance, freshness, and finesse. The mid-palate and finish leave you with silky textures, and a purity of red pit fruits in the finish. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc
92/94 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

The deep garnet-purple colored 2022 Carillon d'Angelus is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with a pH of 3.65. Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with rambunctious notions of blueberry pie, plum preserves, and chargrill, followed by hints of cardamom, wood smoke and sassafras. The full-bodied palate is surprising, coming off a far more graceful and nuanced than the nose suggests with fragrant floral notes and beautifully plush tannins, finishing with great vibrancy and freshness. 2022 is an impressive step up for this label! 
92/94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent