When Clyde Can’t Go to Bordeaux...

This past Friday in Redwood City, we were able to taste some of the very first barrel samples of the 2019 vintage in Bordeaux. We are not doing regular appointments due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but we did have one spot where just a few of us could gather at a safe distance—our break room. I haven’t done a professional tasting since I was in France in early March, and Clyde made sure that I started back with a bang. We were treated to a visit from Laetitia Izard of Angelus, who brought three 2019 barrel samples.

The wines were spectacular and lived up to the hype coming out of Bordeaux about the 2019 vintage. That being said, Angelus has not missed making great wine in any vintage in a very, very long time! We tasted Angelus, the Carillon d’Angelus, and one I had never seen before that they call the "Number 3." All of them were excellent, but the Angelus itself was something extraordinary, something for the ages. These wines are all farmed individually and managed like estates of their own. This start to finish attention shows through in the finished product—none of these had a “declassified” feel to them.

The 2019 Number 3 is composed of 85% Merlot, and surprisingly, 15% of Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape variety that is not often seen on this side of the river save for Figeac. It comes from a little over 12 acres of the property and is vinified 60% in second use barrels and 40% in stainless steel. This barrel sample was amazingly open on the nose with lots of wild plummy fruit and only the slightest hint of oak. I was very impressed with the texture, which was rich and full, but finished fresh and lively. It had a long finish and a ton of charm.

Next, we had the 2019 Carillon d’Angelus, which is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and comes from 42 acres of the Angelus estate. It sees 60% new oak and 40% second fill barrels. This had big, briary black fruit and was framed by some well-integrated oak on the nose. In the mouth, it was intense, rich, and quite full-bodied—a concentrated wine with plenty of fruit. This was considerably bigger and more tannic than the Number 3 but remained fresh.

The 2019 Angelus proper was in a different league altogether, and it's safe to say that this is truly grand vin. It is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc from 66 acres at the foot of the famous south slope of St. Emilion. The wine is vinified in a combination of new barrique and, in the case of some of the Cabernet Franc, large wooden foudres. The wine was impressively dark and had a great blueberry nose framed by fresh black olive notes and completely integrated oak. In the mouth, it was almost unbelievably concentrated and packed with layers of flavor, especially given how lifted, completely dry, and fresh it finished. Hours later, typing this at home, I can still taste it.

-Gary Westby