2003 Angelus

I had this wine from my cellar, as well as at a tasting in Zurich in February of 2015. It is one of the handful of 2003s I bought from the Right Bank of Bordeaux in this vintage. Angelus really nailed the vintage, and has produced a fully mature wine that’s truly strutting its stuff. Dense, bluish/purple, it offers gorgeous notes of espresso roast, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers and a touch of chocolate. It is full-bodied, opulent and seems close to full maturity, as it is evolving quickly. The wine is full-bodied, rich and should be drunk over the next decade.

Magnum. 57% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot. He thought the Merlot was a bit heavy and overripe and declassified some of it to have this proportion. Paler than most, especially at the rim. Sweet and rather formless on the nose. Very much an exception from the style of the younger vintages. Just a hint of raisins and very drying tannins. Not the intensity of fruit on the mid palate – a bit of a hole there. There is some freshness, presumably thanks to the Cabernet Franc, but it fades awfully fast. Less vitality than most vintages. (JR)

Quite closed but darker fruit than some – more cassis. Still has that cassis leaf herbaceousness. Powder fine tannins, still with some grip. Rather light in the middle. (JH)