26 Apr 2024

The Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases begin this morning with a wonderful Margaux, Château Angludet, much-loved by English claret drinkers and now producing the best wines in its many centuries of history.

James Suckling awards the 2023 Château Angludet his best-ever score (93-94 points) and describes this vintage as 'Better than 2022'.  We loved tasting the '23 this week and were delighted by the precision of the fruit and the expression of Margaux terroir in the fine, velvety tannins. 

The château is the family home of winemaker Ben Sichel and we have watched with interest as he has pursued quality here, particularly over the last decade, using biodynamic viticulture and limiting yields drastically, a similar approach to that used at Palmer (co-owned by the Sichels).  In 2023 the yield at Angludet was just 20hl/ha, producing wonderfully concentrated fruit.  40% of the wine was aged in amphorae, which have a similar effect to oak barrels, without adding wood tannins.  The remainder was aged in oak, but with only 35% of it new.  The result is a wine that will be drinking just 4-5 years from the vintage, but which will age for even longer than Angludets of old.

We just returned from Bordeaux yesterday and there is so much to say about this vintage, this estate, and this wine.  We will give our full impressions over the next few days, but Angludet's release price of £288 per dozen is 10% below the release price of the 2022, illustrating the awareness among the famous château that en primeur needs to offer compelling advantages to buyers. 

This is a 'must-have' wine for your cellar, so do let us know if you would like to order.

Offered en primeur, landing spring 2026.

Bottles, halves, and magnums as listed.  Please enquire re other formats.

To order, simply e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk

 

Producer Profile

Château Angludet, Margaux

Château Angludet is an AOC wine in the commune of Margaux.  Originally classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, the estate tends not to refer to its Cru Bourgeois status and prefers to operate outside of the classification, equalling many Grand cru classé wines in quality.  The estate has been owned by the Sichel family (co-owners of Palmer) since 1961 and is currently the home of Ben Sichel.  

Named after Bertrand d'Angludet, the knight who owned the estate in 1150, it is one of the oldest châteaux in the region.  The 32 hectares of vineyards have remained largely intact and unchanged since 1758.  The free-draining, gravely and sandy soils here are classic Médoc terroir.  The vineyards are planted with 46 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 41 per cent Merlot and 13 per cent Petit Verdot (an unusually high proportion compared to most left bank estates). The estate is currently in conversion to biodynamic viticulture.