Château d'Angludet 1988 Margaux 12% abv - bravo! More such low figures please! (It says Sichel on the label, but didn't Sichel acquire the property only in '89?)
Prélude
This is an estate and a vintage I rarely see positive notes on. I happen to like the general outlook of the vintage. Most wines I've had have been honest Claret. They haven't been showy and sexy wines, but rather solid and structured ones with a savoury character rather than the sweeter profile of the two hot vintages that came just after. This is a style that I know is not very popular, but is one that I happen to like very much. Sadly, recently (warning: major generalisations ahead!) such characteristics are becoming all too rare in Bordeaux: '94, '01 and '04 are vintages I have hopes for - we'll see. But so far, '88 has been the most successful for my taste, and I might even go so far as to say that this is the vintage dearest to me.
Theme
The wine still has a deeply coloured core, but a wide rim. It looks mature but so healthy that it gives promise of lasting many more years - though using the colour as a crystal ball for the future can be hazardous.
The nose started out a little bit disjointed with a dirty, exhaust fume note to it. A short while in a decanter brought everything together, however. It turned into a lovely, ripely fruited, classic Claret. It has a sweeter, red toned note (a bit like sweet strawberry IMO) that I find typical of Margaux, yet it also has all the tobacco and cassis I tend to find in Cabernet S. dominant wines. It has a darker tone underneath these bright tones: wet clay, dark fruit - I assume, therefore, that this has a large percentage of Merlot?
The palate has resolved tannins, nicely noticable acidity and sweet fruit with a mature character, yet it still is overall a savoury wine. It is restrained and elegant. The aftertaste is incredibly fresh and long. The aftertaste is really noteworthy: its cleanliness and mineral notes and its refreshing quality make this a very moreish wine.
All in all, I find it a true example of Claret and of Margaux. It may not be the most complex wine to have passed my lips, but it is a rare treat in that I opened it at the exact moment that it is (to my taste) drinking at its best. Very good.
Coda
This is almost a sentimental occasion drinking the wine as it exceeded my expectations. To sum it up, it tastes like Claret.
-Otto-