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Chapelle d'Ausone 2003

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Ausone

Label

Tasting Notes

One of the best second wines I have ever tasted, the 2003 Chapelle d’Ausone is rivaled by the 2003 Carruades de Lafite and 2003 Forts de Latour. Dense ruby/purple to the rim with an extraordinary nose of flowers, figs, black raspberries, blueberries, and sweet cherries along with striking minerality and precision, this exquisite second wine represents the essence of Ausone. It should drink well for 25+ years.

No one in Bordeaux has made greater progress in taming the extraordinary potential of this noble terroir than Alain Vauthier, an obsessed perfectionist if there ever was one. He has instituted a Draconian selection at this tiny estate, both in the vineyard and the cellar, and the second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone, has also become one of the region’s finest wines. Prospective purchasers should be aware that Ausone requires 10-20 years of cellaring before it approaches maturity.

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Fine and elegant

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 04), April 2004
16
Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine (1), April 2004

Revealing a character remarkably similar to its big sister, but not as layered or concentrated, this opaque purple-colored wine reveals pure notes of blueberries, blackberries, and minerals, full body, and tremendous depth as well as texture. Because of low acidity and ripe tannin, it will be drinkable at a much earlier age, and may even out-perform the 2003 Ausone over the next 10-12 years. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (158), April 2005

One of the greatest second wines I have tasted.

91/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (152), April 2004
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.