Wine Wednesday Recap: The 100-Point Right Bank Icon 🍷
A legendary 2016 library release from Château Angélus, a lesson in right-bank strategic naming, and how your bottle unlocks a real-world experience.
This week’s Wine Wednesday took a turn for the historic. While I was sipping a regional Franconian Silvaner under the rare German sun , Rodolfo joined me to break down an absolute blockbuster allocation.
We focused our attention on Château Angélus, examining a legendary right-bank vintage that represents a highly unique, collectible piece of liquid history.
If you missed the livestream, here is the technical breakdown of the 2016 library release and the exclusive utility attached to this week’s drop 👇
The Icon: Château Angélus 2016
Angélus stands in a league of its own on the Right Bank. The 2016 vintage is a complete outlier—hailed as one of the finest of the decade—harvested during the era when the estate held its peak Premier Grand Cru Classé A status.
The Aromatic Backbone: The blend is a remarkable 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. That uniquely high percentage of Cabernet Franc drives a brilliant aromatic profile of violets, graphite, and dried herbs, rounded out by the lush plum fruit of the Merlot.
The “Alphabetical” Move: A fun piece of wine trivia—the estate was historically called L’Angélus. The family strategically dropped the “L” entirely so the winery would appear first alphabetically in listings and catalogs. Pure savvy.
What’s in a Name?: The estate gets its name from an old medieval prayer. The vineyards sit in a natural amphitheater just outside the gates of Saint-Émilion where workers could beautifully hear the church bells of three local parishes ring in unison.
The Bacchus Alpha 🤖
When we introduced this 2016 library vintage to our AI agent, Bacchus (our “Bloomberg Terminal of Wine”), it came back overwhelmingly bullish. Bacchus rarely holds back its sass, but its analysis of this vintage and price point made it clear: this allocation is an absolute no-brainer.
The Drop & Exclusive Member Perk 🚨
This library release was stored in immaculate conditions directly at the winery until it was made available to our members this past Thursday.
The Multiplier Strategy: The wine is starting to show beautifully at a decade old. Rodolfo’s recommendation is the classic collector’s play: pick up multiple lots to enjoy some now and leave the rest to evolve over the next few decades.
The Golden Ticket: This isn’t just an asset for your digital cellar. Anyone who secured this allocation unlocks an exclusive experience: a private tour and tasting directly at Château Angélus in Bordeaux.
Bordeaux doesn’t operate like a standard commercial tasting strip—these doors are notoriously difficult to open, and we are thrilled to bridge that gap for our community.
Missed the live session? You can catch the full replay here 👉 https://dvin.app/chateauangelus
Cheers,
Jana
Co-founder, dVIN Labs 🍷