| Angélus 2002 • August 2003 | ANGELUS
1st Great Classified Growth "B"
2002 Vintage
Geographical situation :
On Saint-Émilion’s south-facing slope, the famous "pied de côte" (the “foot” of the hill).
Surface area :
23.4 hectares (57.8 acres) in one block
Density of plantation :
6,500 to 7,500 plants per hectare
Average age of the vines :
30 years
Grape varieties :
- 50 % Merlot
- 47 % Cabernet Franc
- 3 % Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard management :
Part of the vineyard soil is worked traditionally, and the rest is seeded with grass. De-budding, leaf-thinning and crop thinning in summer.
The 2002 vintage :
The cold, dry winter caused the beginning of a lack of water in the soil. During the flowering, very unsettled weather conditions resulted in coulure and millerandage in some of the Merlot whereas the Cabernets enjoyed a very smooth flowering and setting. During the summer it was cool with relatively little sunshine, and concerns grew about the ripening of the grapes and the risks of an outbreak of rot (botrytis cinerea).
Painstaking efforts were made in the vineyard with de-leafing and crop thinning to enable the bunches to get as much air as possible and to make the most of the slightest ray of sunshine.
When September arrived the weather was cool, windy and sunny. The berries became concentrated, thanks to the combined effect of the lack of water and the wind. The cool temperatures and sunshine put a stop to the development of rot and encouraged a slow ripening which is a good guarantee of elegance and finesse.
The harvest began on 20th September ; the grapes were perfectly healthy and at optimum ripeness, with a very good concentration of tannins and anthocyanins and an excellent balance.
The fine weather allowed us to prolong the picking until the 8th October, stopping and starting according to the desired ripeness levels for each plot and each grape variety.
The Merlot, which is particularly prone to coulure and millerandage, was harvested in very small quantities (18 hectolitres per hectare) : it gave wines which were very black-red with aromas of raspberries and blackcurrants, very fat and with great backbone.
The Cabernet Franc, for which the weather conditions were very favourable, had exceptional density and richness. It made up half of the volume in the vat cellar and is likely to represent a high proportion in the final blend.
On tasting today, it is still too early to talk about an outstanding vintage, but it is already showing the stature of some of the greats.
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