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Tasting notes
55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. 20 months in 85% new oak. A little closed on the nose but this opens out to show rich dark fruit and some mineral character. The palate is deep and complex. This is an austere rather than exuberant Ausone that is highly structured and very firm in character. FINE+RARE
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
FINE+RARE
More reviews and scores
The bell-pepper note is quite prominent on the nose, but on the medium-bodied palate it adds freshness. Not that much structure, but some fine tannins come through at the delicate and slightly tart finish. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.
Ruby colour, rose edging, smoked sandalwood and sweet black cherry, with a subtle build of power and concentration through the palate. This has juice and finesse, with edges of tobacco and rose petals, and a sharper nuance of fresh mint leaf. At a great moment to begin drinking, but has decades ahead. 100% new oak. A late harvest between October 9 and 17.
Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scents—very floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier.
About the producer
Ch. Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most respected estates. At this small property, perched atop a hill overlooking the town of Saint-Emilion, the Vauthier family produces some of the finest wines in the region.