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Ausone 1996

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

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Label

Tasting Notes

94+
Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, September 2014

Tasted on three occasions within a two-month period, the 1996 Ausone is an impressive wine, but one that I feel does not reach the heights that Alain Vauthier and latterly his daughter Pauline have reached more recently. Deep and more youthful in color than previous bottles, it delivered a minty, floral, almost Margaux-like bouquet whose intensity has remained undimmed in all the years I have been tasting it. The palate is medium-bodied with a heady attack on the entry, a little warmth here that slightly smudged the delineation, Merlot in the driving seat for the first half and the Cabernet Franc component imparting blueberry and cassis notes on the finish. There is something a little showy about this Ausone -- certainly a very fine Saint Emilion and very respectable considering that this was not a propitious Right Bank vintage. Then again, in retrospect one can view it as a stepping stone to the successes of the 21st century. Tasted February 2015.

92
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (227), October 2016

The color of the 1996 is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspirng Ausones of the 1980s and 1970s. The wine is stylish and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040. Last tasted, 3/01.

93+
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

I do not understand the critics of Alain Vauthier, who now has sole control of Ausone and is taking the estate's quality to a higher level. Moreover, the wine is much more consistent, with greater depth and richness on the mid-palate, without sacrificing Ausone's 40-50+ years of longevity. As I suspected, the 1996 is beginning to shut down. I left it in the glass for nearly 30 minutes and was impressed with the nuances that developed. The colour is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness, and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspiring Ausones of the eighties and seventies. The wine is stylish, and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040.

93+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (122), April 1999

A brilliant Ausone, the 1996 displays this property's tell-tale mineral characteristic in its multidimensional bouquet. In addition, there is a plum-like liqueur intermixed with black currants, cold steel, floral, and crushed stone scents. Dense and rich, as well as extremely subtle, this medium-bodied Ausone possesses extraordinary richness, yet no sense of heaviness.
It takes the prize for having a rare equilibrium of flavour and structure. As the wine sat in the glass, I was convinced I smelled violets, or something that reminded me of the 1990 Comte de Vogue Musigny. Undoubtedly one of the great wines of the vintage, the 1996 Ausone will require a decade of cellaring.

94/95+
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998
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.