Good red-ruby. Deep, sweet aromas and flavors of black raspberry, cassis, graphite and licorice. Wonderfully lush, silky and seamless, with a near-perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Very full in the middle palate but with terrific verve leavening the wine's total ripeness. This really coats the palate with flavor and the very long, slow-building finish features utterly sensual tannins. A great performance for this property.

Among the top St. Emilion bottlings in recent years, Angelus rings the bell once again with its rich and opulent style. Full, ripe and plush with more than a slight resemblance to Napa's best, it is a deeply fruited and unabashed proponent of the new "international" model. Its juicy intensity moves it to the head of the class now, but it has the tannic substructure to grow for a good many years.