At the helm of Château Angélus, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal is bringing new precision, elegance and energy to Bordeaux tradition.
She is the first woman in eight generations to take control of the famed Château Angelus in SaintÉmilion, located on the right bank of the Bordeaux wine region. Now, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal—born in 1982, a Bordeaux vintage—runs the 200-plus-years estate on behalf of the de Boüard family, and recently became the majority shareholder.
One of three siblings, Stéphanie grew up on the Angelus holding before graduating from Bordeaux University’s Faculty of Economics and France’s ESCP-EAP business school. She has three children with husband Marc Rivoal, who runs a wine négociant company. She harboured childhood ambitions to join the family business and, after several decades at the helm of the dynastic estate, her father Hubert de Boüard handed over control to Stéphanie, while retaining the role of technical supervisor.
Since then, she has certainly made her mark, bringing her sensitivity to the estate’s wines while preserving their complexity. Stéphanie has also personally led the acquisition of new vineyards, and has given special attention to Carillon d’Angelus. She has also expanded the family’s hospitality arm with the acquisition of Logis de la Cadène, which was followed by boutique guest house Maison de la Cadène in 2016, then hotel Auberge de la Commanderie in 2017. In 2019, she expanded into Bordeaux by acquiring the restaurant L’Observatoire Le Gabriel (two Michelin stars).
Fluent in French, English and Spanish, Stéphanie leads a team of 170 people. As managing director, she oversees all aspects of the business, but still manages to pursue hobbies in her spare time (she is a keen horse rider, and enjoys travelling and cooking).
Angelus has been the life’s work of eight generations of the Boüard de Laforest family. At the beginning of the 20th century, Maurice de Boüard de Laforest inherited the estate and extended it, adding a three-hectare enclosure named Angelus in 1920. Jacques and Christian de Boüard de Laforest continued their father’s work until 1985, when Hubert de Boüard took over and was later joined by Stéphanie in 2012.
In the first classification of Saint-Émilion wines in 1954, Château Angelus was awarded Grand Cru Classé. These days, eight cuvées (both red and white) are produced from 131 hectares, including Château Angelus, Carillon d’Angelus and No. 3 d’Angelus. The wine itself is distinctive due to its high percentage of cabernet franc (up to 55 percent), and also known for its long ageing potential (15 to 50 years, and more for great vintages).
Angelus’s soils are principally clay-limestone, while Carillon’s plots vary between clay, sand and limestone. Under Stéphanie’s management, efforts have been made to develop a more sustainable vineyard, preserving biodiversity and optimising resources, while in the cellar, she has transitioned to a fresher, more vibrant style of wine. Alongside her father, Maggie Henriquez, erstwhile CEO of Krug Champagne, has been a key mentor for Stéphanie: and her achievements to date testify to how adroitly they’ve carried out their task.
Discover talents such as Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal at The Golden Vines® 2026, taking place in London from November 6th to 8th, 2026. Register your interest in tickets at liquidicons.com
