2023 Carillon d’Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Vinous 90-92

The 2023 Le Carillon d’Angélus matured in around 50% new oak. This is quite taut and linear on the nose—a more streamlined Carillon perhaps, with touches of crushed stone infusing the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a hint of blood orange on the entry, vivacious red berry fruit and a generous white pepper note toward the finish. There’s something almost Burgundian about this Carillon in terms of the tannin structure. Give it three or four years in bottle. [Neal Martin, 04/29/2024]

Anticipated maturity: 2027-2039

Robert Parker 91-93

The 2023 Le Carillon d’Angélus, as usual a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, exhibits attractive aromas of cherries, raspberries and blackberries mingled with hints of exotic spices, vine smoke and violets. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, it’s layered and enveloping, with a charming, seamless profile and a long, mouthwatering finish. As readers will by now remember, this bottling is no longer a “second wine” per se but rather draws on some 25 hectares of dedicated vineyards, emphasizing Merlot from the cool terroirs of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, complemented by holdings in the gravelly Figeac sector and on clay soils near Angélus itself—with anything that doesn’t make the cut relegated to the No. 3 d’Angélus. [William Kelley, 04/26/2024]