Château Angelus #81
Château Angelus represents the devotion of the de Boüard de Laforest family and its team of professionals
Recognized throughout the world as one of the leading Bordeaux names, Château Angelus represents the devotion of the family and its team of professionals, focused on achieving excellence and highlighting the matchless nature of its terroir. Prevailing in its vineyard is Cabernet Franc. This variety is planted in the lower parts of the estate, the famous foot of the slope, which offers a clay-limestone terroir, which is optimal to Cabernet Franc, combining finesse of texture with great aromatic complexity. At Angelus, the terroirs are the result of a perfect balance between climate, soils, water reserves, vines and the people working there. Maintaining this balance, preserving the long-term future of the vineyard and its environment, optimizing resources and enhancing biodiversity are central to their daily work. This concern for the environment gave rise to their commitment to virtuous and responsible farming. In 1954, Château Angelus entered the first classification of Saint-Emilion as a Premiers Grand Cru Classe “A”.
The Estate welcomes visits only from professionals, by appointment.
Prayer and bell
Angelus (or “blagovest”) originates from a small plot of old vines. It is very ancient and located in the heart of a natural amphitheater where sounds are naturally amplified. Peasants who used to work in the local vineyards and heard the three local churches: the Mazerat chapel, the Saint-Martin-de-Mazerat church and the Saint-Emilion collegiate church Émilion, nicknamed this place “angelus”, after the prayer of the same name. For centuries, the bells have been rung at seven in the morning, at noon and at seven in the evening, setting the rhythm of each day. As soon as they heard the ringing, women and men working in the fields and villages stopped their work and bowed in prayer. The bell on the Château Angelus label symbolizes the moment of this sacrament.
A symbol of exclusivity and permanence
Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal is the Chairwoman of Château Angelus. She represents the eighth generation of the Boüard de Laforest family. She is the third woman to preside over the fortunes of this estate – after Catherine Sophie de Boüard de Laforest in 1800 and Eugénie Chatenet in 1900. This land is ingrained in her life it here she draws courage and determination to confidently move forward. She keeps up the work of her fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers with the sole purpose of serving the greatness of Angelus, ensuring that the name will always remain a symbol of exclusivity and permanence, timeless!
Aside from the Château Angelus estate, Stéphanie expanded the family business by purchasing Le Logis de la Cadène, the oldest restaurant in Saint-Emilion, in 2013. This was followed by the acquisition of La Maison de la Cadène in 2016 and L’Auberge de la Commanderie in 2017. In 2019, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal furthered the diversification and growth of the family business in the restaurant industry in Bordeaux, known as the culinary and wine capital, with the purchase of Le Gabriel restaurant.
Ecology and strict standards
In 2019, Château Angelus received an eco-certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture and the French Standardization Association Afnor. HVE certification involves the implementation of all best practices maintaining ecological balance in vineyards. Angelus has achieved level 3, which imposes the most stringent requirements on manufacturers. In 2020, the famous Château presented its new winery, Carillon d’Angelus. The 4,400 m² winery building, set among 3.3 hectares (8.1 acres) of land, is half- underground and features a green roof. The new facilities include a harvest reception area with a laser optical sorting line, a vinification room, a cellar for the malolactic fermentation and a barrel cellar. The vinification cellar with its 18 inverted tronconical vats, features a vat-filling system using hoists and a vat elevator, allowing 100% gravity-flow. Nitrogen-generating equipment provides permanent protection for the wine sand controls oxygen levels both during the vinification and the ageing process. Photovoltaic solar panels enable the production of a part of the electricity needs for the functioning of this new winery. The building has received BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environ-mental Assessment Method) certification, the British equivalent of HQE (Haute Qualité Environnementale/High Environmental Quality). The pursuit of ever more rigorous standards and enhanced performance commits Carillon d’Angelus to active R & D undertakings, from the vines to the cellars, from the development of vine-growing techniques to the invention of new approaches.
