Chateau Ausone 2020
Château Ausone is located on the right bank of Bordeaux in the appellation of St Emilion and has a long and complicated history. More recently the feuding owners, the Dubois-Challon and Vauthier families, were regularly at loggerheads, a situation that finally resolved itself when Alain Vauthier took over the estate in 1995.
Ausone was one of only two estates awarded Grand Cru Classe A classification in the initial St Emilion classification of 1955, the other being Cheval Blanc.
Following a decade of disputes over the 2012 St Emilion classification, in July 2021 leading up to the 2022 classification, both Cheval Blanc and Ausone separately withdrew from the classification, both citing issues with regard to judging criteria.
The 2020 Cháteau Ausone is a blend of 50% merlot and 50% cabernet franc, and is 14% alcohol.
This wine was purchased en-primeur and has been stored in a temperature controlled cabinet.
The reviews are outstanding.
"After a shake or two, the nose erupts with the most gorgeous perfume of juicy blueberries, baked black plums, and black raspberries, followed by nuances of pencil shavings, iron ore, rose oil, and black truffles with a waft of cedar. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with shimmery, energetic black and blue berry layers, framed by super-ripe, super fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of floral, mineral, and bright, pure fruit notes. This is incredible!"
100 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, March 2023.
"The flowers in the nose are spectacular with violets, lavender, and honeysuckle. Then there’s wet stone and freshly cut limestone. Plus there’s raspberries and blueberries. The palate is full-bodied yet very tight and reserved, with fine tannins that run the length of the wine as well as hints of cedar, sandalwood and vanilla bean. It’s long and very racy and complex. Needs eight to 10 years of bottle age to open and come together. Try after 2032."
99 points, James Suckling, May 2023.
"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."
98-100 points, Jane Anson MW, Decanter, May 2021.
| SKU | 1AUSONE20 |
| Brand | Chateau Ausone |
| Shipping Weight | 1.5000kg |
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