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Château Ausone
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2023
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Dark garnet in color, the wine is intensely floral, with lilacs, violets, roses, licorice, espresso, black raspberries, black cherries, and red currants. As good as the nose is, the palate is even better. The wine is rich, intense, and most importantly, elegant. There is a majestic sense of lift, purity, and refinement that is complimented by the strong touch its oceanic influence felt on its layers of dark red, black, and blue fruits, espresso, and spice. The seamless finish lingers long after the wine has left the glass. The key to the vintage here is the late, and light September rains that refreshed the Cabernet Franc just before harvesting. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Franc with 40% Merlot.14.2% ABV, 3.63 pH. Harvesting took place September 14-19 for the Merlot ,and September 25-30 for the Cabernet Franc. 2,000 cases were produced. Drink from 2030-2065. 97-99 Pts. 1,313 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
2022
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Mint, licorice, spice, incense, blackberries, black cherries, espresso, flowers, crushed stones, spice and cocoa create the attention seeking nose. There is intensity, richness, depth, and energy on the palate. The influence of crushed rocks, stones, and chalk is strong on the palate. The peppery edge to the powerful layers of fruit provide additional complexity, and lift to the dark fruits. The resilient finish coats your palate with layers of salty, dark, sweet, black, red and blue fruits that linger. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Franc with 50% Merlot.15% ABV, 3.57 pH. Harvesting took place September 5-9 for the Merlot and September 21-27 for the Cabernet Franc. Yields were 38 hectoliters per hectare. 1,600 cases were produced. Drink from 2030-2065. 97-99 Pts. 3,847 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
2021
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Underbrush, smoke, cigar wrapper, espresso, spice, dark cocoa, flowers, and the strong sensation of crushed rocks and stones tossed into the Atlantic ocean create the enticing bouquet. On the palate, the wine is medium/full-bodied, elegant, polished, and chalky with layers of sweet, ripe, earthy, red pit fruits, salty tannins, herbs dark chocolate. There is length, minerality, and complexity on the mid-palate and a vibrancy to the red fruits with a strong crushed rock influence in the finish. This is a serious candidate for the wine of the vintage. Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot,12.8% ABV, pH 3.6. The harvest took place from September 30 - October 6. The yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. Only 1,200 cases were produced this year. Drink from 2028-2065. 96-98 2,182 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
2020
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The captivates your focus with its showy display of flowers, crushed rocks, black, red and blue fruit, espresso and thyme. It takes a bit of coaxing and patience, but there is an incredible level of depth, purity, refinement, and vibrancy at play here on the palate as the wine gently coats your palate with its layers of salt-infused, black and dark red fruits. The deep seamless finish crosses the 60 second mark and keeps on going as it continues showing off its essence of minerals of fresh berries. This could be the longest lived wine of the vintage. Drink from 2030-2075. 3,390 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023 |
2018
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
With a depth of flavor that feels like they managed to pack a magnum into a single bottle, this wine is all about its intensity and incredible sense of minerality and purity. Rich, fabulously concentrated and deep, the seamless finish which surpasses 60 seconds is loaded velvet drenched black, blue and red fruit, spice, smoke, earth, licorice, crushed rocks, stones and oyster shells. The cashmere tannins, and vibrancy is awe inspiring. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, 14.5% ABV. If you have the money, there are few wines at this level of quality produced from any vineyard in the world. 5,132 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021The color of purple ink, this wine displays an incredible level of density. It is hard to understand how they place so much fruit in a glass of wine and yet it is light on its feet! There is a purity here that resembles eating fruit off the vine seconds before it was picked. The finish is packed with minerals, red, black and blue fruit, flowers, spice, earth, rocks and stones and it has a 60 second impact. The cashmere tannins, freshness on the palate, density, length and purity are remarkable. The wine is made from a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, reaching 14.5% ABV with pH 3.65 and is aging in 100% new, French oak for 20 months. The Merlot was harvested on two days, September 25 and September 27 and the Cabernet Franc was picked October 3, 8 and 9. The wine was made from low yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare. If you have the money there are few wines at this level of quality produced from any vineyard in the world. 98-100 Pts 6,321 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
2017
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Dark ruby with purple accents on the rim, the wine is luxuriant, full bodied, lusciously textured, sensuous and with all that going on, this is also quite refined. The mineral driven, sweet dark red fruits offer an impressive sense of purity. There is persistency and vibrancy on the palate. Made from a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.5 and represents 80% of the crop. The harvest took place from September 23 to September 29. 4,233 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
2016
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Deep, dark garnet in color, you are instantly hit with a unique note of flowers and crushed rocks as you first nose the wine. On the palate, it tastes and feels liquefied essences of rocks and perfectly ripe, dark pit fruit and blackberries. The wine has symmetry. Everything is in balance between the fruit, tannins and acidity. The seamless finish, with its non-stop waves of fruit coats your palate in all the right ways. The wine remains with you for over 60 seconds! From a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot, this is one of the wines of the vintage. If you have cash, and the time to wait for maturity, this is a future legend in the making! 6,183 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Flowers, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice and blue fruit are complicated by smoke and crushed rocks to conjure up the aura and the essence. On the palate, the wine is full bodied, intense and nearly bottomless in depth. The character evokes molten minerals blended with the perfect fruits. There is a sense of purity in the red, blue and black fruits, which revolves in the racy finish. Using an even split of 50% Cabernet Franc with 50% Merlot, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.5 and is aging in 100% new French oak barrels. This represents 75% of the crop, the yields being 40 hectoliters per hectare. 7,707 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
2015
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Is there a more consistent wine in Saint Emilion? Perhaps, but it is hard for me to think of any wine that produces wine at this high level of quality, vintage after vintage. 2015 continues that streak. This is what intensity is all about, on the nose and palate. Picture a bucket of insanely ripe black cherries, black plums and licorice squeezed over rocks and stones before it's placed into your glass, and well you get the idea. The purity of fruit, incredible level of concentration, silky tannins and a finish that stays on target for at least 60 seconds or longer is what you'll find here. The only issue is, you need to buy this for your kids, as it's going to take 20years or more to start showing its stuff. But, if you have the money and the time... 8,194 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018A luminous hue of ruby ink with a wink of purple, this wine is refined and intense. There is a wealth of sensuous fruits, fresh flowers and the essence of crushed stone. The texture is pure velvet. The finish stays with you like a fragrance in the air, long after she’s left the room. If you cannot afford this stunning wine (and I am in your boat as well) seek out prosperous friends so you can drink their wine. 2015 is a unique expression of Ausone that needs to be tasted at least once. Made from a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.6 and represents 70% of the crop. The harvest took place from September 29 to October 10. 6,268 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
2014
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Showing an espresso, earthy minerals, flowers and dark fruit nose, this wine has lush, sensuous tannins and there is a serious sense of purity to the fruit. The long finish is silky, giving you a posh texture in the mouth and finishing with a suave, black cherry and licorice note. Using 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.5 and represents 67% of the crop. The yields were only 27 hectoliters per hectare. 96-97 Pts 4,330 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
2013
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Deep garnet in color with crushed rock, black raspberry liqueur and flowers on the nose. Sweet, luxurious, sensuous and velvety, this wine pleases the palate with a burst of ripe plums. The oak is completely integrated. Finally, an Ausone that does not demand decades to come around! With a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the yields were only 22 hectoliters per hectare. That means that only 750 cases will be produced in this vintage. The wine is aging in 85% new French oak barrels. The Grand Vin represents 67% percent of the harvest. 93-95 Pts 6,120 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
2012
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The Merlot was harvested on October 9, 11 and 12, while the Cabernet Franc was picked October 13, 15 and 17, with yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare. The assemblage is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot and will be aged in 85% new French oak for 18 months. Floral, stone, licorice and black cherries create the aromatics. Supple, rich, mineral-driven and polished black cherry and raspberries end with the one of the richest, most opulent finishes of the vintage. 95-97 Pts 6,623 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
2011
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
From a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the wine goes through fermentation and maceration in thermoregulated wood vats and is aged in 100% new oak for about 20 months. Inky, dark and opaque with blue and purple accents in the color, this wine shows intense mineral, blackberry liqueur, blueberry, smoke, truffle and ripe, sweet essence of black cherry. Rich, concentrated, lush and mouth filling, the wine is graceful, elegant and balanced. This is a definite candidate for wine of the vintage. 96-98 Pts 4,972 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2012 |
2010
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Ausone From a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, the wine will be aged in 100% new oak for about 20 months. 67% of the yields were placed into Ausone, the remainder will become Chapelle d’Ausone . The nose offers aromas of broken rocks, sweet, ripe, dark berries, licorice, flowers, spice, minerality and smoke. Full bodied, rich, and concentrated, this supple, polished wine is filled with fresh berries, freshness, spice, jam, fennel, minerality and black cherry in the finish. 95-97 Pts 9,912 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2011 |
2009
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
2009 Ausone offers crushed stone, smoke, fennel, and black with blue fruits in the nose. Full bodied and supple, this rich, silky, voluptuous wine, produced from 55% cabernet franc and 45% merlot, ends with sweet plums, minerals, and dark berries. 96-98 Pts 9,718 Views Tasted Jul 28, 2010 |
2008
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
2008 Ausone smells like you just stepped into a rock quarry that is in full production. This intense sensation of minerality is enhanced with scents of fresh, ripe, blackberry, coffee, oak, spice and violets. Full bodied and intense, this opulent, concentrated, deep, suave polished wine is long, fresh, intense and pure. It really fills your mouth and palate, ending with a finish that lasts close to sixty seconds! 98 Pts 6,670 Views Tasted Jul 18, 201008 Château Ausone contends for wine of the vintage. The wine is densely concentrated with stunning levels of rich, ripe, opulent fruit. Great purity of flavors emerge in the long, elegant, mouth filling finish that leaves your palate coated with black and red fruits, spice, and chocolate. Proprietor Alain Vauthier continues slowly but steadily to increase the levels of cabernet franc planted on the property at the measured pace of about ¼ HA every three or four years. 96-99 Pts 6,481 Views Tasted Aug 1, 2009 |
2007
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Charming, polished, fresh, elegant and offering pleasure today, the sweet black cherries, black raspberries and plums and complicated with earthy, floral notes. Unlike most vintages of Ausone, this is not a wine that requires more aging. 5,380 Views Tasted Oct 6, 2014 |
2006
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Clearly a contender for wine of the vintage. In a year of masculine styled wine, this is soft, refined and elegant. The ripe tannins are buried under a wealth of ripe fruit, stone, floral and earthy charms. Not close to mature, but offering a beautiful, velvet, focused tasting experience today. If I owned a bottle, I would wait at least 10-15 or 20 years. But if you own a case and you're curious.... why not? 2,854 Views Tasted Oct 6, 2014 |
2005
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
With a wall of crushed rocks, mint, flowers, juicy, sweet, plums, cherry and blackberry, this inky colored wine is clearly massive, intense, and concentrated. Powerful, yet refined, this is quite tight at the moment and not fun to taste. Give it at least another decade and a few hours of air, and the magic should happen. 8,814 Views Tasted Feb 5, 2017A few hours in the decanter was not enough. With a few hours of additional air in the glass, the wine expanded, opened its perfumed, mineral drive, floral nose, filled out in the body and began to display an incredible level of finesse, elegance, length and purity of fruit. Nowhere near ready to drink, this is all about potential, something this wine has in spades. 7,265 Views Tasted Mar 19, 2016Like Archie Bell and the Drells, this wine has started to tighten up. It was hard to get a read on the wine. Deep colors with beautiful, mineral laden perfume. But the wine was not fully open and the finish was held in reserve. With ample coaxing, I was able to catch a glimpse of the wines purity, ripeness, complexities and charm. The wine is shutting down for a long sleep. Having had this multiple times since late 05, I have no doubt this wine will be a legend on maturity. 8,701 Views Tasted Jul 21, 2008The deep, almost opaque color catches your eye before your nose experiences a wealth of mineral, infused fruit. Then... boom! A huge mouthful of delicious ripe, Cab Franc and Merlot takes over every one of your senses. The finish which fills your palate and every nook and cranny of your mouth with fat, sexy, rich and absolutely seamless. Not a thing was out of place, everything was in balance. 10,749 Views Tasted Nov 9, 2007This Bordeaux elixir tasted like a boysenberry volcano erupted and they bottled the lava. It is that thick and intense. Minerals, chocolate, insane levels of concentration, intense purity and a finish lasting over a minute are the hallmarks of the wine. 10,508 Views Tasted Jun 22, 2007 |
2004
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A candidate for the longest lived wine of the vintage, the powerful, rich, deep wine is youthful, complex and full bodied. Air and coaxing were needed to find the floral, licorice, stone, black fruit, earth, smoke and spicy character. This needs at least another decade before it’s ready to drink. 8,180 Views Tasted Nov 30, 2014 |
2003
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The wine of the vintage from the Right Bank is relatively youthful, concentrated, and rich, with a serious depth of raw materials, ripe fruits and minerality. The exotic textures are perfectly matched by the complex earthy, licorice, floral, plum, black cherry and crushed rock filled nose. The incredibly long, expansive, mineral drive finish must last for close to 60 seconds on your palate. 7,695 Views Tasted Feb 18, 2015Showing some signs of aging in the color, the wine pops with stone, truffle, flowers, licorice, cassis and black raspberry scents. Rich, deep, concentrated, lush and pure, the finish is long, intense and focused, with sensations of minerality. Power, purity and finesse. Based on the track for aging found in Ausone, this will only get better with time. Now, if only I could afford it! 6,448 Views Tasted Oct 23, 2013With effort, licorice, caramel, intense minerality, floral, boysenberry, blueberry, plum, espresso bean and spice scents start to come alive. There is incredible levels of concentration in this wine. It's packed and stacked with all the right stuff to age and develop for decades. However, it's not a lot of fun to drink today. The sensation of quality is there, but it's like taking a Ferrari for a spin in a parking lot. Smells good, sounds good and feels even better. But it needs to open up. Currently, it's tight and primary. 2003 Ausone demands air, coaxing and time to come But if you have the money and want an example of the best Right Bank of the vintage, this is the wine to buy! 9,634 Views Tasted Dec 13, 2012This Bordeaux wine is pitch black! Like a black hole in space, light does not pass through. On the nose, an incredible smell of blackberry liqueur, intense levels of minerals, spice, herbs and earth takes over your nose, makes you sit up straight and pay attention. Incredibly concentrated with so much rich, deep, ripe fruit, the best way to imbibe this massive wine might be with a spoon. It is that unctuous! The wine should been decanted all day instead of 3 hours as it only teased us with what it will deliver when fully mature. 9,396 Views Tasted Jul 20, 2007 |
2002
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Caramel, smoke, stone, blackberry, plum and cherry notes lead to a primary wine that offers all the right stuff. But it's a long way from maturity and demands time in the cellar. 7,520 Views Tasted Dec 13, 2012 |
2001
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The display of minerality notes, with all its crushed rock, salt, and oceanic nuances is all over the place here. Still young, but slowly coming into its own, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated and fresh, with notes of flowers, cherries, leaf, and a myriad of dark red berries come through on the nose. The palate is rich, focused, complex and energetic with great tension, and did I mention the pallet of crushed rocks and limestone that come along all that fruit. As a guess, another 5 years will add more delicacy and comeplxity bringing this to right place for consumption. 4,737 Views Tasted Oct 22, 2021OK, this is still primary, but its impossible not to be seduced by the melted rocks, pure black cherries, licorice and earthy perfume. The wine is intense, concentrated, fresh and pure. The tannins are ripe and silky, ending with a finish that goes on and on and continues from there. OK, you are at least a decade from maturity. But I can safely say, this is going to be stunning when it enters into the mature stage of life. 7,427 Views Tasted Jul 10, 2015The level of truffle, crushed stone, floral, boysenberry, gunpowder, smoke and fennel is close to being off the charts. Thick, rich, intense and concentrated with sweet, ripe fruit and lush tannins that are perfected by a finish that continues to linger, this is a stunning St. Emilion and the of wine of the vintage. 7,491 Views Tasted Dec 13, 2012OMFG! Those 4 letters should say it all. This magic Bordeaux elixir is a mind blowing tasting experience! The perfume might get you started with its blend of deep, dark, fruits, minerals and spices, but the endless waves of perfectly ripe fruit, power, glycerin, elegance and balance that lasts close to :90 are going to keep you interested in the wine. Still young, no make that still very young, this is an amazing tasting experience that is a reference point wine. 01 Ausone truly expresses an amazing purity of fruit that is seldom found in any wine. 6,138 Views Tasted Jun 6, 2008Inky black with shiny deep purple accents. The aromatics come out to play with coaxing. Flowers, black and blue fruits, spices and minerals already show themselves. On the palate, your mouth and senses are treated to a focused display few wines show. The riveting palate presence, with layer after layer of some of the sexiest, ripest, most opulent fruit you'll ever taste is out of this world! Very tannic backbone. This will age for decades. But, there is so much fresh, perfectly ripe fruit, it's already easy to discern how good this is, and even better, how amazing it's going to be! 5,635 Views Tasted Dec 27, 2006 |
2000
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
If your thing is ripe, red fruits poured over rocks, stones and salty minerals with the weight and density of motor oil, a perfume that packs flowers, wet earth, truffle, herbs, oceanic brine and a basket of red and black pit fruits, with a finish that coats your palate, teeth and gums for over 60 seconds, this could be your wine. Still young, but with a long future, and by long, I mean 60-80 years, this is what great wine is all about. If you are planning on popping a bottle, give it 2-3 hours in the decanter, else wait a decade for it to evolve, soften and add even more complexity. 4,515 Views Tasted Dec 8, 2021There is so much concentration of this unique blend of black and blue fruit, flowers, licorice and crushed rocks, you might be tempted to eat it with a spoon! The wine fills your palate and really fleshes out with air. Nuance and complexity, length and purity of fruit, with the essence of crushed stone, 3 hours of decanting clearly helped. 15-20 more years of cellaring will help even more! This is a future legend of Bordeaux. 7,069 Views Tasted Nov 12, 2017Off the charts in every sense of the word. Decanted 4-5 hours before serving helped open the mineral, floral, dark red fruit, smoke and earthy nose. But the palate was where the real action took place. Thick, dense and incredibly concentrated, yet light on its feet, due to its natural freshness. The purity of fruit was right there, as was the 60 second finish. Still young, 6 hours of air might have been a slightly better choice. Else, give it at least 5-10 years before popping a cork. 6,701 Views Tasted Sep 10, 2016Now, this is wine you seldom get to taste these days. With only a splash decanting the exotic aromatics popped with licorice, spice box, flowers, black raspberry, dark cherry, stone and hints of wet earth. Full bodied, concentrated, long and rich, yet light on its feet with supple, smooth tannins and a long expansive finish that builds and expands. There is a beautiful purity of fruit that is seldom found in most wines. Shockingly expensive, but if you bought this early as a future, or if you're part of the one percent crowd, this youthful wine really delivers the goods. 7,605 Views Tasted Dec 7, 2013Violets, smoke, raspberries, flowers, coffee and minerals are to die for! Keep in mind, this is all from a 6 year old wine! This has so much glycerin, tannin and rich, amazingly ripe fruit, it’s hard to believe. The over sixty second finish is completely seamless. The 2000 Ausone has to be experienced because words do not do it justice. Petrus strives to be this good and distinctive 12,536 Views Tasted Mar 14, 2006This wine combines levels concentrated fruit with a viscosity that has to be tasted to be believed! It combines the thickness of motor oil with pure silk and velvet! While insanely ripe, it's not over the top and maintains a balance and sophistication I've never previously encountered in any wine. Take perfectly ripe black fruit, crushed rocks plus exotic spice and find a way to place a magnum worth of wine into a single bottle and you get an idea of what this beauty will taste like. 10,697 Views Tasted Nov 7, 2004 |
1999
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A clear candidate for wine of the vintage, this stunner is concentrated, full-bodied, deep, long, and intense Multi-faceted and multi-layered, the wine finishes with ample freshness and crushed stones with a touch of thyme that builds and lingers. Drink from 2025-2055. 4,555 Views Tasted Jul 16, 2022This is a gem. The essence of rocks and stones is all over the nose and palate which is accompanied by layers of ripe plums, cherries, licorice, earth and flowers. On the palate, the wine shines with its length, purity and elegant hedonism. The wine of the vintage. This is probably the best-priced example of Ausone that is showing well in the market today. 3,142 Views Tasted Sep 12, 2020Crushed rocks, flowers, dark red fruits, blue fruit and even juicy black fruits are out in full force. Intensely concentrated, powerful, yet refined and elegant, the finish really sticks with you. Another 5-10 years will add even more to the wine. The bottle was doubled 3 hours before serving. 4,986 Views Tasted Nov 8, 2017When first offered, this vintage of Chateau Ausone was a bargain at not much over $100. Those days are gone. At prices that make Lafite Rothschild look like a bargain, it's always a treat to taste Ausone. Broken stone, licorice, flowers, boysenberry, smoke, coffee and spice open the aromatics. Tannic, intense, pure, concentrated and mouth filling, the wine coats your tongue with pleasure ending with layers of fresh, ripe, pure, juicy plums and stone. Still young, give it another decade before the fireworks explode. Having tasted this several times over the years, this is the best showing yet for the 1999 Ausone. 6,998 Views Tasted Feb 21, 2012Minerality, smoke, blackberry, herbs, forrest scents and stone make up the complex perfume that is found with ample coaxing. Full bodied and filled with soft, ripe, dark fruit, this wine will drink younger than most Vauthier era Ausone wines. 5,302 Views Tasted May 22, 2010It's a study in texture, concentration and minerality. Still young, this stellar wine offers a unique profile for St. Emilion. From a cool year, this wine is a major accomplishment. Liqueur of black fruit and plums pour over your mouth and linger. Still young, assuming you can use the words value and Ausone together in the same sentence, this is the wine to buy if you want to drink it young. 5,194 Views Tasted Jun 6, 2008 |
1998
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Packed with salt-edged rocks and stones, the wine is fresh, vibrant, bright and on the deep, red fruit side of the style range. Full-bodied, with a crisp, mineral-driven palate presence and finish, this is starting to show quite well. 3,278 Views Tasted Apr 5, 2022Very mineral driven, with loads of crushed rocks, stones and floral notes to accompany all the ripe, dark, juicy, vibrant energetic plums. This is starting to drink well, but give this concentrated, full-bodied wine at least 2 hours of air, before imbibing. 4,504 Views Tasted Sep 8, 2018The best showing yet for this wine. With a few hours of air, the wine offers a mineral driven, plum, licorice, black cherry and wet earth character. Full bodied, concentrated, elegant, regal and complex, this is only starting to wake up and get noticed. Another 5 years will add a lot more softness and complexity to the wine. 8,119 Views Tasted Aug 16, 2015Still youthful in appearance, the wine offers minerality, floral, earth, licorice and smoky blackberries in the perfume. Concentrated and tannic, the wine is a bit firm and requires at least another decade to soften and come together. 5,729 Views Tasted Dec 12, 2012With its high proportion of Cabernet Franc, (almost 50%), remains tight at ten years of age. With decanting, black fruits, herbs, minerals and spices can be coaxed from the glass. Good concentration of raw materials. In character, the wine is slightly rustic in nature, especially when compared to Ausone produced at the Chateau in 1999 and later. This bottle indicates that 10-15 more years are needed before truly beginning to fully express its qualities. 7,457 Views Tasted Oct 10, 2008 |
1997
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
In a state of decline, the fruit has moved to the cranberry side, with a tart core of red berries. Drink up, as this is not going to improve. 5,766 Views Tasted Nov 25, 2017 |
1996
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Austere in nature, there is an herbal, leafy edge to the fresh, red fruits crushed stone and earthy character. There is concentration and an almost Medocian nature to the fruit and tannins. Time should help, but fully soften and flesh out the wine. Lovers of classic Bordeaux that miss this style will like this more than I did. 6,229 Views Tasted Nov 25, 201796 Ausone showed a nice expression of ripe black and red fruits with an interesting mineral component. Very fragrant. Good texture. This is close to mature, but a few more years will help soften the wine and offer additional palate complexities. Tasted recently, I preferred the 95 Ausone. For a 96 Right Bank, this is a major success for the region. 6,454 Views Tasted Sep 22, 2010Still young, this voluptuously styled wine is rich in character. Very sophisticated and lush. Dark berries, plums, spice and striking minerality are the hallmarks of this wine. Still young, this tannic wine needs another decade or two to flesh out. 4,470 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2005 |
1995
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Time has been nice to this wine. While there is a firmness to the tannins, with age, this full bodied, concentrated, fresh, berry and stone filled wine has filled out and softened considerably. That being said, another decade of age would help even more. 6,079 Views Tasted Mar 6, 2017Quite nice, with air. Mineral driven, plum, earth, tobacco and spicy red and black fruits were in abundance. Other bottles have felt softer. A little more air would have probably made a difference. There was depth, flavor and character, but this specific bottle was not quite as good as the previous bottle I last tasted. Once again, there are only great bottles, not great wines after 15 years of age. 6,245 Views Tasted Jan 12, 2016The first vintage with Alain Vauthier fully in charge offers aromatics of crushed stone, black raspberry, smoke, cherry, tobacco, floral elements and hints of leafy herbs. The palate straddles the fence between the firmness of the vintage and softer, rounder textures. Young, but offering secondary characteristics, drink now, or wait a decade for more flesh to develop. 3,630 Views Tasted May 24, 2014 |
1990
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
On the sharp, bright, red berry side of the style range, with crushed stone, thyme and forest leaf edge, the wine is medium bodied, fresh, and ready to go. You find a sharp, semi sweet, red berry note dominating the finish. 4,502 Views Tasted Nov 18, 2017 |
1989
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The warm summer growing season added a lot to this wine. On the nose you find a blend of oyster shell, black cherries, plums, licorice, herbs and wet earth. The medium-bodied wine continues its theme on the soft, round textured palate, leaving you with sensations of ripe fruits, chalky tannins, earthy, herb, leaf and cherries. This is in a great place today for current consumption. 2,892 Views Tasted Sep 13, 2020 |
1985
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Light, bright, and fully developed, the wine is much more interesting on the crushed rock, tobacco, earth, spice and red plum nose than on the medium-bodied, stony, earthy, bright red berry palate. 3,651 Views Tasted Oct 22, 2021 |
1983
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Aromatically, it offered an interesting, spicy, mineral characteristic along with bright fruit tones, black raspberries and plums. Fully mature, rich and elegant, this will not improve. 4,592 Views Tasted Feb 17, 2005 |
1982
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fully mature, medium-bodied, bright, crisp, fresh, crunchy red fruits mesh well with all the secondary notes of wet earth, spice, herbs, red plums, tobacco leaf, and cigar box aromas. This is fully developed, no decanting needed. 3,433 Views Tasted Dec 8, 2021Fully mature, and on the lean, firm, bright side, you find wet earth, smoke, tobacco, flowers and cherries on the nose. The perfume is more interesting than the medium bodied, firm, palate. The red fruit is firm and there is a distinct, green edge in the finish. There is a lot to like here, but not a lot to love. 4,574 Views Tasted Dec 16, 2017Smoke, tobacco, cassis, stone, red plum, spice and black raspberry and floral scents create the perfume. Medium/full bodied and soft in texture, the wine finishes with red and black, spice coated berries. This is a nice, fully mature St. Emilion. It lacks the depth and levels of concentration found in the wines being made at the estate today. 5,701 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2011 |
1967
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
This could easily be the red wine of the vintage. The earthy, spicy, mineral driven, plum and cherry profile still offers interest, as does the soft palate, and bright, kirsch, cherries and spice in the finish. If you need a 1967 and you do not want to spring for d'Yquem, this is the wine to buy. 3,547 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016 |
1964
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
1964 Ausone was deep ruby with bricking in color. Spice, minerals, plums, truffles, dark cherries, cassis, forest floor and tobacco notes are in abundance. The silky, rich, thick mouth feel expresses the patina of age. The finish could have been longer, but I really liked the wine. While I do not get to taste enough Right Bank wines from 1964, the wines I have tasted continue to be impressive. 64 is the mature version of 1998. 5,846 Views Tasted Oct 27, 2010 |
1961
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A dramatically better bottle than my last tasting experience, this hit all the right notes with its cedar, mint, dried flower, cherry, red plum, and cigar wrapper nose. Concentrated, refined, long, and harmonious, this was simply thrilling to taste. Drink from 2023-2030. 2,167 Views Tasted Sep 25, 2023Firm, austere, herbal and peppery, the tannins are tough and the bright fruits are crisp with a tart edge. The wine requires drinking. 2,536 Views Tasted Apr 6, 2022Charming, in an old-school rustic way, the wine is earthy, mineral driven, leafy and crisp, with cocoa and bright red fruits. A bit stern on the palate, the wine is full bodied, but short, with a strong, metallic tone that runs underneath the red fruits. 3,668 Views Tasted May 31, 2018 |
1959
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Light ruby with bricking and tea in color, the nose offers sweet strawberries, tobacco, truffle, smoke, earth, spice box, cherry and stone aromas. Medium bodied, soft and silky in texture, this is more than fully mature and requires consumption. 3,551 Views Tasted Jul 13, 2012 |
1958
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fading into oblivion, there is more earth, tobacco, herbs and olives, than fruit, in this rustically textured wine. 2,513 Views Tasted Jun 5, 2018 |
1955
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Now we're talking. Served double blind, this beauty displayed a mineral driven nose, complicated by cherry pipe tobacco, cedar wood, cigar box and hints of cherry blossoms in the nose. Full bodied, spicy sensuous, there is a lot to like about this wine 3,794 Views Tasted May 7, 2015WOW! What a treat and a surprise to taste. Served blind, I was sure this was decades younger due to its fresh fruit, aromatics and palate presence. Packed with ripe, jamy berries, minerality and smoky, tobacco scents, the wine was rich, plush, long and silky. 5,518 Views Tasted Oct 16, 2012 |
1952
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Young wines should never taste old. And old wines, when they are great, should retain some youthful characteristics. At close to 70, this light red, bricky hued beauty showed all the best aspects of tertiary and olfactory development/ Yet, there was still a fabulous array of earth, tobacco, and stony red fruits to enjoy. The tannins have melted away with age. The remaining fruits offered lift, freshness and sweetness in the finish. We were lucky this bottle was so good, as that's not always the case with wines of this age. But when old wines hit, that's when the magic happens! 3,506 Views Tasted Nov 20, 2019Perhaps the reason most folks do not understand Ausone is that they have not enjoyed the wine at 60 years of age. Holding on to its opulent texture, stone sensations and fruit, the wine served up a salty blast of cherries, rocks, stones and herbs. Just a super bottle from a seldom-seen vintage. 2,156 Views Tasted Oct 22, 2018With a stone, fresh cherry and tobacco profile, the wine offered good character in its delicate, red berry profile. Do not decant this, except to remove sediment as it's hanging on by a high quality, but thin thread of life. 3,914 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
1934
Château Ausone (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Wow! This bottle was majestic with its complex array of aromatics, silky textures, sweet, fresh fruits and earthy, delicate, elegant, long finish. 2,703 Views Tasted Oct 5, 2014It's hard to believe I have able to taste this sublime wine twice. Soft, silky textures, sweet, spicy red fruits, stone and earth, with a long, fresh, fruit filled finish are what you will find, if the bottle has the right provenance. 2,650 Views Tasted May 8, 2014Served blind, I was sure this was decades younger due to its freshness, vivacity and fruit. The fruit was clean, fresh, pure, spicy and long. The more wines I taste from 1934, the more I like the vintage Sadly, that does not happen often enough. 3,125 Views Tasted Jul 11, 2013 |