Ausone
About Château Ausone
Château Ausone vies with Cheval-Blanc to be Saint-Émilion’s most prestigious estate. Named after the Roman poet Ausonius who once resided in this area, Ausone is one of four Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) wines in the classification of Saint-Émilion (along with Angélus, Cheval Blanc and Pavie).
Quite possibly the oldest winemaking estate in the entire region, the vines of Château Ausone occupy the same site as a villa owned by the Roman poet and proconsul Ausonius nearly 2000 years ago. The connection to the current name is clear to see, but the Vauthier family have owned these hallowed vineyards for several centuries into the 12th generation with Pauline.
Viniculture
Ausone stands tall over the town of St-Émilion itself, with a mere seven hectares of entirely classified vines – making it the single smallest First Growth in any appellation, on any Bank. Clinging precariously to steep, ancient slopes comprised of clay and limestone with particularly shallow soil cover, it has been said that Ausone is one of few properties in the region where one can simply tell from the sight of its terroir that the wine is exceptional. There are Cabernet Franc vines that are more than 100 years of age (planted 1906).
Striking chunks of limestone are immediately obvious, and it comes as no surprise to learn that such is the extent of said geological influence that there are deep quarries running beneath the vines. Actively worked between the 13th and 19th centuries, the dormant mines are now used by the Vauthiers to store oak barrels at a temperature of 12 degrees and a steady year-round humidity of 97% – in fact so effective are these limestone cellars that a dehumidifier had to be installed!
Aside from producing some of the greatest, rarest wine on Earth, Ausone’s terroir is exceptional for its consistency. Vintage after vintage, both the Grand Vin and the second wine excel whilst others stumble – the latter representing a minuscule 10% of the total production of an already dramatically small amount.
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bordeaux | 5 | 82 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£625.20 |
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Wine Advocate (82)This medium ruby wine remains closed, but exhibits adequate ripeness of fruit. However, the hard tannins are cause for concern. The 1981 Ausone is a medium-weight wine, with good concentration, but I believe it will always be an austere, tough-textured, charmless wine. It still needs 10 years to soften and develop. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 1/90. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 89 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£625.20 |
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Wine Spectator (89)Firm and vivid, offering clear cherry, tobacco and cedar flavors backed by firm, round tannins; it blooms on the finish.--The Bordeaux 50. Drink now through 2000. 2,000 cases made. -JS |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£507.85 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£822.80 |
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James Suckling (100)A mindbinder of a wine with pure fruit and so much fine tannins and mineral character. It’s hyper tight and super polished. The palate starts off slowly and ends with a bang. Amazing endless finish. What an energy. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£890.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)The 2016 Ausone is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It is incredibly closed to begin, offering glimpses of juicy blackberries, plum preserves, and cedar chest, before unfurling to offer a whole array of exotic spices, sandalwood, violets, and notes of crushed rocks, plus a touch of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is so closed and tightly knit to start off, delivering peeks at mineral, floral, and opulent spice accents, with a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length. It needs a good 8 years+, but should cellar for at least 40 more! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£752.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked red and black plums, wild blueberries and boysenberries plus touches of violets, espresso, licorice and melted chocolate with wafts of iron ore and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully ripe, silken tannins and bold freshness to support the fragrant multi-layers, finishing very long and very minerally. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£732.20 |
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Decanter (99)This is powerful and blows away much of the competition with its depth and layers. This needs you to pull up a chair, take a beat, and let the flavours unroll. There is so much density to the blueberry, bilberry and smoked raspberry fruits that they start out knitted down, then as the oxygen opens them up the body of the wine widens and becomes fleshier and creamier, adding chocolate and mocha notes. The limestone scrape is there in spades through the finish, and this is a cleverly constructed wine. As ever Ausone is just a masterclass in how to take apart and then put back together a terroir. Great stuff. First year of official conversion to organic farming. 100% new oak, some in 30hl oak casks. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£269.60 |
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Wine Enthusiast (92)91-93 Barrel sample. The second wine of Château Ausone is enticingly spicy, with wood aromas and flavors. They balance excellently with fruit and tannins, followed by a dark dryness, which lasts through as the aftertaste. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Bordeaux | 5 | 82 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£625.20 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (82)This medium ruby wine remains closed, but exhibits adequate ripeness of fruit. However, the hard tannins are cause for concern. The 1981 Ausone is a medium-weight wine, with good concentration, but I believe it will always be an austere, tough-textured, charmless wine. It still needs 10 years to soften and develop. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 1/90. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 89 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£625.20 |
|||||
Wine Spectator (89)Firm and vivid, offering clear cherry, tobacco and cedar flavors backed by firm, round tannins; it blooms on the finish.--The Bordeaux 50. Drink now through 2000. 2,000 cases made. -JS |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
£420.00 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£683.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (100)A mindbinder of a wine with pure fruit and so much fine tannins and mineral character. It’s hyper tight and super polished. The palate starts off slowly and ends with a bang. Amazing endless finish. What an energy. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
£739.00 |
|||||
The Wine Independent (100)The 2016 Ausone is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It is incredibly closed to begin, offering glimpses of juicy blackberries, plum preserves, and cedar chest, before unfurling to offer a whole array of exotic spices, sandalwood, violets, and notes of crushed rocks, plus a touch of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is so closed and tightly knit to start off, delivering peeks at mineral, floral, and opulent spice accents, with a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length. It needs a good 8 years+, but should cellar for at least 40 more! |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£624.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked red and black plums, wild blueberries and boysenberries plus touches of violets, espresso, licorice and melted chocolate with wafts of iron ore and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully ripe, silken tannins and bold freshness to support the fragrant multi-layers, finishing very long and very minerally. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (DC) |
In Bond
£607.50 |
|||||
Decanter (99)This is powerful and blows away much of the competition with its depth and layers. This needs you to pull up a chair, take a beat, and let the flavours unroll. There is so much density to the blueberry, bilberry and smoked raspberry fruits that they start out knitted down, then as the oxygen opens them up the body of the wine widens and becomes fleshier and creamier, adding chocolate and mocha notes. The limestone scrape is there in spades through the finish, and this is a cleverly constructed wine. As ever Ausone is just a masterclass in how to take apart and then put back together a terroir. Great stuff. First year of official conversion to organic farming. 100% new oak, some in 30hl oak casks. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WE) |
In Bond
£222.00 |
|||||
Wine Enthusiast (92)91-93 Barrel sample. The second wine of Château Ausone is enticingly spicy, with wood aromas and flavors. They balance excellently with fruit and tannins, followed by a dark dryness, which lasts through as the aftertaste. |
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