Hubert de Bouard is celebrating the erection of his new bell tower (right). We are looking forward to visiting the estate in April, but in the mean time, the chateau have kindly provided a vintage report and their first impressions of their vat tastings.
'This new vintage experienced some
difficulties at the outset: weather in springtime was chaotic, with chilly, wet
conditions, causing the flowering period to be particularly spread out over
time. This was followed by a cool start to summer without much sunshine… all
these factors suggested a late vintage. However, the months of August and
September were extraordinary and any inconsistency due to bad weather at the
beginning of spring was erased. These months even enabled a very healthy and ideally ripe crop to be gathered.
The harvests were done in October, from the 8th for Merlot grapes,
whereas the last Cabernets were picked on 18th October.
First impressions
Angélus 2012 is marked by
exceptional pureness of fruit, structure is perceptible but soft,
both for the Merlots and for the
Cabernets. It is a great vintage which will
have required tremendous vigilance, a great deal of work in the vineyard, and
for which the summer was a decisive moment.
A great vintage, most certainly
easier to express on earlier-ripening terroirs such as those of Château
Angélus.'
