1995 Chateau Angelus
The nose has a lovely rich sweet cherry aroma with some cassis coming through, but mainly dominated by the stone fruit. There is a little chocolate and some meatier element, almost like roasting juices, followed up by a herbal and vegetal aroma. There is a nice polish element on the end of the nose too, maybe a touch of cherry menthol too. The palate is soft, the tannins firm but without attacking you. There is a little bit of alcohol on the mid palate, but with lots of savoury notes - cocoa, leather and charcoal. The fruit is pretty well hidden, with only the slightest bitter plumskin and cherry stone emerging. It still has time, in fact it still needs time, for the tannins to soften further and the fruit to emerge from its savoury veil. Having said that, when it does, this will be a super wine and I'm looking forward to trying it later. 8/10
After a few hours to open up, it softens on the nose, with a more harmonious aroma, less distinguishable smells and more of a simple, but elegant, olfactory delight. I know it is a bit of a cop out, but it smells of really good old wine, something that you can describe but usually can't be bothered because you just want to enjoy it. And when you put it in your mouth, you do start to enjoy it. The alcohol has subsided, as have the tannins that are now gentle. The fruit has emerged and is in balance with the more savoury, bitter flavours. The finish is very long and dusty, and with a light, stalky flavour. Again, a super old wine with a really long lasting finish. 9/10
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