Ausone 2015

Ausone 2015 is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc and has a medium to deep garnet color. It needs considerably swirling and air to begin to reveal notes of iron ore, Chinese five spice, underbrush, and black truffles, before it opens out to a core of fruitcake, dried roses, licorice, and blueberry preserves, plus a hint of kirsch. Full-bodied, rich and powerful in the mouth, the palate delivers a solid core of muscular fruit with firm yet velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredible length and jaw dropping layers. Incredible!

An utterly perfect wine from Alain Vauthier, the 2015 Château Ausone offers off the hook notes of crème de cassis, black raspberries, toasted spice and dried flowers, with more floral and mineral characteristics developing with time in the glass. Amazingly deep, full-bodied, pure and ethereally textured, with building density and tannin, it’s one of those wines that need to be tasted to be believed. Unfortunately, the production is minuscule (and expensive). A wine that will make your heart rate jump, give it 4-5 years of cellaring and I suspect it will keep for as long as you’d like to hang on to bottles. It’s a tour de force in wine and the wine of the vintage in 2015. 2023 - 2063

Very intense and aromatic Ausone with rose petals, fresh herbs, dark berries and raspberries. Full body and great intensity and brightness. Purity and focus reminiscent of crushed grapes. Such beauty, greatness and elegance to this wine. Goes on for minutes. Needs four or five years to come completely together but so long and beautiful. Try drinking in 2021.

Tasted blind. Broad, minty, Mouton? Fresh and racy with massive charge of tannins. Opulent but flowers and freshness too. Mints.
Drink 2025-2050

Depth of fruit the nose has brooding black fruited richness the palate is fleshy and supple velvet smoothness and opulence. Layers of flavour complexity there is lots of excitement from the cedar wood and spice at the back has seamless length. 2024-40

Outrageously good winemaking from Alain Vauthier and his team, expressing this special terroir to (near) perfection. Fine, floral and well balanced, with chalky minerality, palatecaressing 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. Drink: 2025-40

This is a much richer and fuller-bodied wine than the second wine, Chapelle, building power and also fruit in equal measure. The amplitude of flavour here is impressive and while the tannins are dry and rather solid the whole experience is exceptionally involving. The nose is by far the most interesting aspect right now with Cabernet Franc playing a huge part in the complex aromatics. Serious length and epic harmony are already here, but the fruit flows slowly across the palate with not enough momentum yet and this will be resolved as the wine starts to get its house in order. In time this will be a magnificent Ausone.