Château Angélus, St Emilion, 2018

We wrote last year that Stephanie de Bouard was trying to take Angelus in a new direction, one of purity and finesse. The 2016 seemed to deliver on that promise; it was vibrant, sleek and juicy. The 2017 was less convincing, and the 2018 has proved utterly divisive. To some it was bright, fragrant and mouth-watering, with notes of strawberries, tayberries and a refined saline finish, to others it was dark and mineral, with lots of cocoa and dried cherry notes. Firm and structured, but lacking joy. We're as divided as our politicians... It is clearly not the roaring success of 2016, but there is material here. Hubert has a great track record, so it would be surprising if this didn't win us over in time. 54% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. All 42 hectares of Angelus are now 100% organic. The grand vin hails from the 27 hectares classified premier grand cru classé A.