95pts James Suckling
Cedar and floral with dried rose petals and plums with some cherries and fresh tobacco. Medium to full body. Linear and tight with fresh and fine tannins. Chocolate and hazelnut. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Second wine of Angelus. Give it four to five years. Try after 2026.
93pts Decanter
Gorgeous purity on the nose, open and expressive, the florality - rose, iris and violets give a lovely scent. Cool blue fruits, ripe but well defined with a thrilling and vibrant acidity alongside a touch of sweetness giving things a lift. There’s an ease about this, still complex, but it’s smooth and supple with firm tannins, softly gripping and giving the structure. Feels confident but not showy with a wide structure and clear backbone. I love the liquorice and cola aspects and the subtle spice. Ripeness is clearly there, but there’s no excess - the tension and energy remain from the start. Structured and suave.
92pts Wine Advocate
Aromas of sweet cherries, berries, mint and rose petals, framed by a deft touch of new oak, introduce the 2020 Le Carillon d'Angélus, a medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless wine that's velvety and enveloping, with a suave, polished profile that will lend it a broad drinking window. Produced in a new, dedicated winery, where tanks are adapted to the size of parcels, it was matured in 45% new barriques, 30% used barrels and the rest in tank, making for a somewhat more controlled oak influence.
92pts Jane Anson
Expect a change from recent years for Carillon, with far less Cabernet Franc in the blend, to really give it a distinct character from Angélus. Structured and creamy, gourmet and confident studded with espresso, bitter orange zest and cocoa, together with pretty serious acidity. Winemaker Emmanuelle Fulchi d’Aligny (her last full vintage here) and Benjamin La Foret, second vintage in the new cellars. 40hl/ha yield, 3.5ph, 60% new oak.