Domaine des Anges Red "Archange" 2006

The Archange is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache coming from three vineyard blocks each over 50 years of age. Rich intense flavours of black cherry, spices, liquorice and tar on the nose. On the palate, cherries, spices and violets fill the mouth in unison with elegant, ripe tannins

Domaine des Anges is situated on a hillside facing Mont Ventoux, “The Giant of Provence”, which rises to 1912m in altitude. The mountain has a profound influence on the climate of the vineyards with cool evening breezes refreshing the vines in summer after the day’s intense heat, and so enabling the vines to maintain high natural acids and elegant tannins.

Oz Clarke 250 Great Wines - September 2008

2004 Côtes du Ventoux, L’Archange, Domaine des Anges, Rhône Valley 14.5%
I’ve known Domaine des Anges for ages, hidden up in the hills to the east of the Rhône Valley, and this is a good as anything they’ve ever produced. It has a ripe, rich smell of chocolate and plum, and a fascinating array of semi-conflicting flavours – blackberry and damson, milk chocolate, pepper and the rasp of herbs, even a hint of lime acidity – truly evokes the warm wild hills of the Ventoux.

Making the wine of angels
Sunday, March 09, 2008 - By Tomas Clancy

It is not just a winery run by Irish people learning the ropes, this is Irish winemaking genius, creating some of the world’s finest wines - just as David and Catherine O’Brien are doing at Chateau Vignelaure, Lochlann Quinn is doing at classed growth Chateau de Fieuzal and Kilkenny native David Fennell is doing at Margaux classed growth, Chateau duTertre.

Wines of Domaine des Anges


Domaine des Anges, Rouge L’Archange, Cotes de Ventoux 2004

Many consider this wine to be Rooney’s masterpiece. I beg to differ, as I think that honour goes to the white. However, this is still an ambitious wine that in a more prestigious commune only 20kmaway could fetch double or triple this price. It is made in tiny quantities, comes from 40-year-old vine blocks and is expensively made.

The syrah, for example, is aged in barriques for a year, unblended, while the grenache is aged in a stainless steel tank to emphasise the freshness of the fruit. The blend, 80 per cent syrah and 20 per cent grenache, is a super luscious, polished wine bursting with weighty dynamic dark fruits, a touch of white pepper and the telltale tar notes of southern Rhone syrah. A superb wine at a startlingly reasonable price - but for how long more?

Full article available at http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2008/03/09/story30982.asp

More comment from Tomas Clancy in March 2010

Domaine des Anges is owned by Kilkenny businessman Gay McGuinness and its general manager and winemaker is Dubliner Ciaran Rooney. He creates exotic and award winning wines from vineyards high up in the slopes of Provence's highest mountain, Mount Ventoux. His delicious white wine - the 100% Roussane Archange Blanc 2008 is a world beater. It is wonderful to taste in the heat, but could be an ideal antidote to the grey, rain dashed day that St. Patrick's Day in Ireland all too frequently is.

Domaine des Anges White Archange - 91 points

Domaine des Anges Red Archange - 89 points