A family-united pair of fine Bordeaux
12 March 2008
Angela Lloyd samples Châteaux Angélus and La
Fleur de Boüard
The Cape has
attracted many high-profile and successful Bordeaux wine people to consult
for or form partnerships with local producers. Paul Pontallier of Château
Margaux, Pierre Lurton of Cheval Blanc and Yquem, Alain Moueix of Mazyères
and May Eliane de Lencquesaing of Ch Pichon Lalande - all have found the
challenge of making great wine – and the Cape's scenery – irresistible.
Among
the more recent arrivals is Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, owner (with his
wife, Corinne) of Château Angelus in St Emilion, and La Fleur de Boüard in
Pomerol. Here, he is a partner with his bordelais colleague, and former
owner of Ch Cos d'Estournel, Bruno Prats, and Klein Constantia's Lowell
Jooste, in Stellenbosch-based Anwilka.
All these
French luminaries are modest, affable people, yet all understand the
ruthless determination it takes to produce great wine and, as de Boüard
reminded us at a recent tasting of wines from his portfolio at Observatory's
Wine Cellar, it sometimes necessitates upsetting close family members. The
first time he carried out green pruning after taking over from his father,
he made sure his father was away from the château, as he knew how horrified
his father would be, a reaction realised on his father's return after the
event!
But it is a
rigorous approach to quality that has taken Ch Angelus to where it is today.
De Boüard's enquiring mind has led to the expansion of his properties: La
Fleur de Boüard (so named to distinguish it from the many other 'Lafleur'
properties in Pomerol), was purchased in 1998. The 11 hectares of vines,
with an average age of 25 years, lie on a gravelly mound with 10% clay and
are composed of 80% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. A
select block of very old vines is kept separate and is released under the,
very limited, Le Plus label.
Of
the four vintages tasted of the merlot-led La Fleur de Boüard, it was the
2000 which seemed the most together, and given the current free-fall of the
rand, Wine Cellar's R495 for their few remaining bottles should be tempting.
The wine displays that attractive but difficult-to-achieve harmony between
contrasting tight, mineral freshness and richness. Sophistication also
derives from a quiet umami-like bouquet. Savouriness is also a hallmark of
the 2004, though it is, of course, far less evolved than the 2000. The worth
of bottling those old vines separately is vindicated in the concentration,
minerality and sheer elegance of Le Plus.
If you want to
see De Boüard's face light up, just mention cabernet franc; he's an
unashamed fan, yet its role in Angelus is invariably either an equal or
supporting one, except in the unusual vintage of 2003, when it accounts for
the highest percentage ever at 58%. Even in this ripe year it lends spice,
elegance and freshness, positives evident in the other vintages presented -
1995, 2000 (again my favourite vintage, its 50/50 blend so poised and in
equilibrium), 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The 2005 is the
sort of wine that needs to be first opened at the 21st birthday
of a 2005 vintage child, when, all things considered, the R3 500 handed over
for it might well seem like a snip.
•
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enquire about availability of these wines,
email the Wine Cellar
