Two harvests define the early 1970s in Bordeaux and neither flatters the region: 1972 was cold and unripe, 1973 was large and diluted by rain that arrived just as picking began. This bottle comes from the second of them, and there is no case to be made for it as a great wine.
The case for it is the label and the address. Angélus sits on the south-facing slope below the limestone plateau at Saint-Émilion, land the de Boüard de Laforest family have held since 1909, and it went on to become one of only a handful of properties ever promoted to the very top rank of the Saint-Émilion classification. A bottle from 1973 catches the estate three decades before that rise, when it was simply a good Grand Cru Classé working a bad year.
Sold as a dated object rather than a drinking proposition — which, for a fifty-third birthday or anniversary, is usually the point.
-
Producer: Château Angélus
-
Vintage: 1973
-
Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
-
Format: 75cl
-
Region: Bordeaux, France
-
Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. Expect a light, fully faded claret: 1973 was thin to begin with and fifty-three years have not helped, so the value here rests entirely on the label and the year.
Who it suits. Right for a fifty-third birthday or a 1973 anniversary where you want a famous Saint-Émilion name on an otherwise difficult year.
Condition. The label is very faintly marked from bin storage and the wine stands at the very top of the shoulder, which is normal and healthy at this age.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
