Château Angélus 2010

The 2010 vintage in Saint-Émilion

Vintage benchmark: 98/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: The dry summer and cool nights gave dense, tannic wines of extraordinary ageing potential — the exact opposite of 2009.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

The wines reveal themselves slowly, but they are certainly among the most interesting and sophisticated. The color strengthens during ageing, the menthol, chocolate and pencil lead aromas are astonishing in their elegance and finesse. The tannins are dense, but silky, providing the notes of freshness necessary for the balance of great wines. They contribute to the ageing of our greatest wines.

Blend of the 2010 vintage

Figures from the 2010 sheet

• 13 % vol.Alcohol
• 32 hl/haYield
• 30 yrsVine age
• 90,000 bottlesProduction

Winemaking

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, concrete and wood vats with a temperature regulation system (28 to 32°C). Maceration lasts 2 to 4 weeks.

Ageing

22 months in new French oak barrels (Merlot and part Cabernet franc) and in 30hl casks (Cabernet franc).

Terroir

At Château Angélus the vineyard lies in a natural amphitheatre, on the slope and lower slope on the southern side of Saint-Emilion, which concentrates warm summer temperatures and advances ripening. The soil is naturally drained by the gradient. The good balance between clay and limestone ensures a steady supply of water and minerals. The clay content, measured at between 8 and 20%, makes these soils warm and early-ripening. The rootstocks are perfectly suited to the terroir and the grape varieties are distributed according to the soils: Merlot on the slope (more clayey) and Cabernet Franc on the sandy clay-limestone soils of the lower slope.