| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Possibly the "wine of the vintage," the 2008 boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, camphor, truffles and crushed rocks. With great fruit on the attack and mid-palate, a medium to full-bodied, multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like finish, this prodigious effort over-delivers, even for this phenomenal terroir. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 40-50 years.
The 2008 Ausone has a really showstopping bouquet, to wit, one of the most seductive you will find in 2008: pure red cherries, crushed strawberry and vanilla pod scents, later rose petal and an almost honeyed aroma. The palate is medium-bodied with sensual, ripe tannin that feel lavish, luxuriant. The richness is neatly countered by a fine seam of acidity. There are vines of orange zest and allspice towards the finish that fans out with brio and confidence. This is an Ausone determined to make an impression – and it does with some panache. Chapeau Pauline et Alain! 2020 - 2050
Floral and perfumed, with blackberry and black cherry aromas. Minerally and pretty. So Burgundian on the nose. Full and supersilky, with a solid core of beautiful fruit. A wonderfully textured wine, with great length. Impressive for the vintage
55% Cabernet Franc (picked 20 Oct), 45% Merlot (picked 17 and 18 Oct). Deliberately not picked for over-ripeness. 27 hl/ha. 16,000 bottlesPolished blackish purple. Wonderfully exotic and ripe on the nose - very nervy and exciting, Really caresses the palate. Lovely sensuality with lots of acidity and tension but fully ripe black fruit flavours. So clean and brilliant! So finely etched. Still very dry on the end but not excessively so. Great punch and energy. Definitely like an electric shock.
There is just a whiff of oak but it will integrate quite speedily. It is concentrated, packed with rich black fruits, the lushness helped by rounded tannins. Towards the back raspberry and currant appear balancing the sweetness and refreshing the savoury black fruits.
The 2008 Ausone tasted much more forward and softer than most Ausones do at this stage, which is remarkable considering the extremely late harvest and slow, late malolactics. Nevertheless, it is a packed and stacked St.-Emilion displaying an inky/blue/purple color, unreal fruit density, and that liquid mineral component that comes from this steep, limestone vineyard. The wine possesses dense fruit, full-bodied power, remarkably sweet tannins, and more elevated acidity than in such years as 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2006. The acidity seems low because of the wealth and density of the fruit. Everything is incredibly pure, and the cascade of blue and black fruits interwoven with notions of crushed rocks, flowers, and forest floor is as provocative as it is grand. I can conceive of drinking this Ausone with some degree of complexity in less than ten years, which may be considered sacre bleu by the proprietor since many of his wines will last 50-100 years where well-stored. Yields were a ridiculously low 20 hectoliters per hectare, and the grapes were harvested in mid to late October.Once again, Alain Vauthier has produced a wine that flirts with perfection. As I stated in my bottled 2006 Bordeaux report, over the last decade no proprietor has produced as many virtually perfect wines as Vauthier.
Tasted at the chateau with Alain Vauthier, the Ausone ’08 is more taciturn on the nose compared to recent vintages and demands coaxing from the glass. Pure blackberry and cassis, a hint of mint, very restrained but beautifully focused. The palate is medium-bodied with cashmere tannins, pure black cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit, perfect acidity and brilliant focus. This is a restrained, elegant Ausone that is beautifully crafted and underpinned with a pixelated finish with hints of vanilla adorning the aftertaste. Lovely. Drink 2015-2030. Tasted October 2010. Drink: 2015-2030.
A blend of 45% Merlot and 55% Cabernet Franc, the Ausone is muted on the nose at first - it really needs time to unfurl and when it does, there are wonderful pure blackberries, cassis, damson and loganberries. It has spellbinding definition - razor-sharp. The palate has cashmere tannins, sensuous texture and ethereal harmony. Does not just caress the mouth, but leaves it utterly in love and hoping for marriage. A brilliant wine from Alain Vauthier this year, but we have come to expect nothing less. Tasted April 2009
