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2013-CHÂTEAU-AUSONE-1er-Grand-Cru-Classé-Saint-Emilion-Château-Ausone

CHÂTEAU AUSONE

2015 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion

Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Saint Emilion & Satellites
Village Saint Emilion
Classification 1er Grand Cru Classé
ABV 14%

50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. Immediate floral lift to the fruit. A rich fine entry, a tiny point of sweetness in a fine emulsion of silk-fine tannins shot through with fruit. Pretty exciting. Very primary, not giving much away at present, it looks set to be a great Ausone. Rating: 95-96 L&S (Apr 2016)


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Enticing from the first moment, with undeniable depths of blackberry and damson fruit, given definition by bitter black chocolate, pencil lead and liqourice. A gorgeous wine that manages to tame the more exuberant edges of the vintage. Beautifully expressive, with a creamy texture that is pretty irresistable, and a brush of peony flowers and gunsmoke as it opens up that showcase the limestone soils and the Cabernet Franc dominance. 85% new oak, 3.6ph. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jun 2022)

The 2015 Ausone has a detailed, precise bouquet whose intense, graphite-infused black fruit gains intensity with each swirl. This is very sophisticated and compelling. The poised, medium-bodied palate delivers filigreed tannin, perfect acidity and an extraordinarily persistent finish that outclasses almost everything around it. This is outstanding and surely represents one of the wines of the vintage. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Rating: 98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)

Outrageously good winemaking from Alain Vauthier and his team, expressing this special terroir to (near) perfection. Fine, floral and well balanced, with chalky minerality, palate caressing tannins, stylish (85% new) oak and the sort of finish that makes you want to skip down the street whistling. One of the wines of the vintage. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 97 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)

Château Ausone

Unquestionably one of the biggest names of the Right Bank, this is also one of the oldest chateaux in the whole of Bordeaux. Situated at the edge of the limestone plateau on the approach to the village of Saint Emilion, at an altitude of 75 metres, Ausone dominates your view as you drive in to the village, with its beautiful stone gateposts, steeply sloping vineyards, and dry stone walls. Underneath the chateau are kilometre upon kilometre of stone quarries, the smallest of which (at 1,800m2) is the wine cellar. This was excavated back in the 16th century (most of the stone in Saint Emilion ended up building either the village itself, or the handsome limestone buildings in central Bordeaux). Further underground are stone vaults dating back 500 years! The humidity in the cellars is at well over 90%, meaning that they rarely have to perfrom ouillage (topping up), and the angel's rarely get their share! Above ground there is also the Magdeleine chapel (hence the name of the second wine of the estate, Chapelle d'Ausone), which again adds to the sense of mystique on visiting Ausone. They are currently renovating the chapel, and also creating a small room for receiving visitors (although don't hold your breath that this will ever be a centre for wine tourism - the Vaultier family are very discreet, and it is tough to get an appointment here). One of the smallest of all the top estates in Bordeaux, at just over seven hectares (smaller than its Saint Emilion rival Cheval Blanc, smaller even than Petrus in neighbouring Pomerol, but twice the size of le Pin), vines have been cultivated here since the time of Roman poet Ausonius. I'm not sure anyone is suggesting that Ausonius actually owned this vineyard, but it is likely to have been named in his honour.

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