Le Carillon d'Angélus 2019

A truly succulent, refined second wine with berries, chocolate and light toasted oak. It's full and completely integrated with seamless tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely, sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. Extremely refined. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc.

Dark, intense and beautiful color. Intense, pure, subtle nose, with ripe fruitiness. Fat on the attack, melting on the palate, tasty and particularly hedonistic, with aromatic relief between the middle and the finish, the wine ends with an original sap, long and very good. Blend: 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This has more depth to the palate than the No.3, giving a seductive reminder of the flourish of Angélus with coffee, chocolate and precisely expressed flesh to the damson fruit. Plenty of complexity of flavors, salinity on the finish, feels like a successful, well-delivered example of the appellation. 60% new oak. New cellar for first time, expressly for this wine and No.3, reflecting the fact that since 2014 there have been plots dedicated only to these two wines. New plots also, notably one near to Cheval Blanc and another in St Colombe, taking the total for Carillon to around 15ha in total across a variety of terroir types. -Jane Anson.

The 2019 Carillon d’Angélus has completely transformed. Behind the aroma of various flowers, I can touch a velvet texture like a light cream. Though the proportion of new oak barrels is as high as 60%, it balances perfectly from start to finish. With dense tannins accompanied by the characteristic flavor of clove and Amomum, the floral fruitiness flows on my taste buds as syrup of almonds would. Once I finished tasting it, my expectations for the next vintage ratchets up.