Château Angélus
33330 Saint-Emilion, France
Tel : +33 (0)557 247 139

angelus@angelus.com
www.angelus.com

Château Angélus First Classified Growth of Saint-Emilion

Learn all about the Premier Grand Cru Classé "A", Château Angélus located on the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation.

On the top step of the podium of Saint-Emilion's great wines

Located on a site blessed by the gods - a natural amphitheater - on the south coast and the foot of the south coast, less than 800 meters from the village of Saint-Emilion, dominated by the three churches of Saint-Emilion, Château Angélus inspires peace and prayer. Its name is obviously a reminder that in these parts, the Angelus bell rang morning, noon and night. The bells punctuated the working day of the men and women who, listening to the bells, stopped work for a few prayers and spiritual recollections. It's not surprising that this symbol was the distinctive feature of Angélus labels from the outset, with the famous carillon in the center of the label.

Angélus: 8 generations at the service of a renowned cru

Angélus is a family. The de Boüard de Laforest. Genealogical studies by Michel de Boüard de Laforest, rector of the Académie de Caen and historian, attest to the presence of the de Boüard de Laforest family in the Bordeaux region as early as 1544. It all began with Georges Boüard, Bourgeois and Jurat of the city of Bordeaux. But it wasn't until the end of the 18th century, in 1782 to be precise, that Jean de Boüard de Laforest (one of the King's bodyguards) settled in Saint-Emilion. In 1795, his daughter Catherine Sophie de Boüard de Laforest took over the Mazerat vineyard from her husband Charles Souffrain de Lavergne. Then, in the early 20th century, Maurice de Boüard de Laforest inherited the estate. A 3-hectare enclosure was added in 1920. This enclosure is called l'Angélus. Bequeathed to their sons in 1945, Jacques and Christian de Boüard de Laforest, the family continues the work of their father and previous generations. In 1954, the estate expanded to more than twenty hectares by 1985. From then on, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest (son of Jacques) took over management of the estate, joined in 1987 by his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenié (Christian's son-in-law), then finally by his daughter, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal (8th generation), who in 2012 took up the position of Managing Director and then Chairman and CEO of Angélus, joined in 2016 by her cousin Thierry Grenié.

Château Angélus: a turning point with its Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status

Saint-Emilion's first ten-year classification in 1955 promoted Angélus to Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Emilion. At that time, it had not yet joined the "B" classifications as it does today, with Châteaux Canon, Canon-La-Gaffelière, Figeac, La Gaffelière, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Beauséjour, Bélair-Monange, La Mondotte, Larcis-Ducasse, Pavie-Macquin, Troplong-Mondot, Trottevieille, Valandraud and Clos Fourtet. 

But it wasn't with the 1996 classification that Angélus entered the "B" category of Saint-Emilion's Premiers Crus Classés. Absolute consecration, Angélus reached the coveted "A" category of the classification in 2012 (as did Château Pavie), thus joining Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Ausone, rewarding the efforts made by the de Boüard family from 1955 to 2012. Throughout these decades, the family has worked to ensure that Angélus occupies a place of choice on the world stage of iconic wines, successfully combining tradition and modernity in both the wines and the work tools at the service of a well-born terroir. Hubert de Boüard, a qualified oenologist, is going to pursue an ambitious policy.

A harmonious blend of tradition and innovation  

Hubert de Boüard and his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenié breathed new life into Angélus with a major architectural project in 2012. These will take two years to complete. The goal: that Angélus is restored to its former glory, respecting tradition and preserving the architectural balance and history of the site. The château's facade is to be redesigned, with new stonework to give it greater volume. Initially, the building was relatively flat. The main façade features steeply pitched roofs (with 200-year-old flat tiles) and a bell tower with two large bells (the Emilion and the Angelus), enhanced by an 18-bell carillon. The result is striking and aesthetically remarkable. The work was entrusted to Jean-Pierre Errath, a former engineer with the French Buildings Department, and carried out by the expertise of the Compagnons du devoir. Inaugurated in spring 2014, the new façade recaptures the spirituality of the past.

But Hubert de Boüard does not stop there. The revived and reincarnated tradition must also be part of a long-term vision, with a future in which the work tool will be optimized. A perpetual quest for quality and innovation led the family to rethink its vat room, as it did first for its cellar and then for its second wine launched in 1987, Carillon d'Angélus. Inspired by the high-tech equipment at Château La Fleur de Boüard (AOC Lalande de Pomerol), the new facility will feature a vat room and cellar (with green roof) covering more than 4,400 m2 in 2019. But Angélus does indeed need a new winery, better suited to an even greater parcel-based policy - a parcel-based policy made up of each plot in the vineyard. So, the architect Olivier Chadebost (of Bordeaux firm Chadebost Créations) will be in charge. The guiding principle: beauty, aesthetics and technicality. A two-level gravity vat room equipped with truncated-conical, inverted and suspended tanks. Everything is designed to limit handling of the vatted grapes, so no more pumps, and no more untimely manipulations. A tool of this kind should make it possible to enhance the precision, complexity and elegance of wines. 

A clay-limestone terroir favourable to exceptional wines

As far as the vineyards are concerned, Angélus lies in a sort of natural amphitheater made up of a slope and the foot of the appellation's southern slope. This environment is optimal for grape ripening, since the warm summer temperatures are concentrated here, favoring early grape ripening. Clay and limestone play their respective roles here: The clay guarantees the presence of water needed in dry summers, while the limestone, which also brings freshness, gives the grape varieties that inimitable touch of freshness and uprightness in the wines. Cabernet Franc (46% of the total), the star of the hillside, thrives on these clay-limestone soils. Merlot (an essential grape variety for the identity of Bordeaux's Right Bank) prefers the clayey areas on the coast. The 39 hectares of vines are perfectly drained, preventing the vines from getting their feet wet in heavy rain and protecting the grapes from any risk of berry burst during the ripening cycle and pre-harvest periods: an essential requirement for obtaining concentrated berries with skins rich in anthocyanins (red pigments), in other words color. 

Angélus wine, a promise of freshness and aromatic depth

Although the wines of Angélus were already well known at the end of the 18th century, it was perhaps 1959 that put the spotlight on the wines and the estate. Indeed, on the occasion of the visit to France of the Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, the Elysée Palace purchased bottles of Angelus. An exhibition like this could only enhance the reputation of the region.

Whether in mythical, exceptional, very good or more accessible years, Château Angélus wines always demonstrate amplitude, depth, aromatic richness with a sensation of caress and length on the palate. It's great art. Since 1987, Angélus has also been making a second wine, which over time has become a wine in its own right, to the point of having its own winery outside Saint-Emilion since 2019. Carillon d'Angélus, in the Saint-Emilion appellation, is a variable blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Developed with the same care as the first wine, this wine is no less complex. We love this wine for its friendly, velvety character, with an aromatic expression that is always bright and generous. 

There's also another wine, more accessible in its early years, to wait patiently for Angélus and Carillon d'Angélus. This is N°3 d'Angélus, a wine dominated by Merlot (between 80 and 90%). This wine, just as meticulous as the other two, is in the Saint-Emilion appellation.

Great vintages of Angélus:

1945-1947-1949-1953-1959-1961-1975-1981-1982-1985-1988-1989-1990-1992-1995-1998-2000-2005-2009-2010-2015-2016-2018-2019-2020-2022