2020 Ausone
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Vibrant dark-red fruits, fragrant and open. Very fine tannins, juicy freshness. Much more approachable than many 2020s but with a long life ahead. Elegant restraint and masses of freshness. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jane Anson, Decanter
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Ausone has a very crisp and precise bouquet, with a mixture of red and black fruit, crushed stone, black truffle and cedar that gains intensity in the glass. Medium in body, the palate is composed and refined with fine tannins. A taut yet brilliantly defined, pixelated finish goes on and on and on. This is one of the Vauthiers' finest wines in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2020 Ausone wafts from the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of incense, spices and raw cocoa framed by a creamy patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's pure and concentrated, with a sweet core of fruit, generously extracted tannins and a vanillin-inflected finish. Less seamless and sensual than the lovely 2019, it will require some patience to come together, but there is no mistaking the quality of the terroir here.
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.