Ausone Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-Arrival
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
100 Points! Hands down one of the wines of the vintage, shows power and depth coupled at every point with lift and grip, stretches out through the palate, slowly but surely delivering a tickle of spiced sage and saffron, with sappy blackcurrant and graphite. 100% new oak, harvest september 5 to 27, organic conversion, 54 years average vines, Vauthier family shows once again how well they judge construction and architecture. First year not officially a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, but they have kept the ranking off the label for a number of years, so no change on that level. - Jane Anson
100 Points! This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. It has a deep garnet-purple color and WOW—what a perfume! This 2022 Ausone offers up an incredible array of floral, earth, and black fruit scents—iris, crushed rocks, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries—plus hints of dusty soil and star anise. The palate bursts with energetic black and red berry flavors and loads of earthy/minerally accents, framed by very fine-grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and chalky. Stunning. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW
98 Points! Wow. This is such a big and beautiful Ausone with huge depth that slowly uncoils. Really powerful, mineral and naturally concentrated, with iron, chalk and a rich, almost opulent core of black fruit, but really fresh, with chiseled tapenade and wood spices that only tiptoe on the nose. Superb intensity hidden beneath the palate, with a matrix of chalky tannins that vibrate, shine and extend. Nothing stops it at the finish, which lasts well over a minute. Almost beguilingly drinkable considering the tannin quality, which is so fine and energetic, but I'd give it at least 3-4 years to let the wood spices integrate more and let the wine grow with more complexity. A bigger Ausone with higher alcohol, but fantastic and rather outrageous. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot. This will age well for at least two decades. - JamesSuckling.com
98 Points! The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palalte is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
98+ Points! Lastly, the Grand Vin 2022 Château Ausone is based on equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot that spent 20 months in new barrels. Smoky black cherries, mulberries, iron, violets, and spring flower notes are just some of its nuances, and it's deep purple-hued, with full-bodied richness and a surprising level of elegance, purity, and precision. This is one of the more elegant, finesse-driven, yet still incredibly powerful examples of this Château that I can remember. It deserves a decade of cellaring and will evolve for half a century. - Jeb Dunnuck
The history of the estate slowly distils its secrets from old memoirs and learned studies. By following the linguistic evolutions of the same name, the story unfolds. From Casteau Dauzone to Château Dosone and finally Château Ausone, the unchanging tribute to the Latin poet becomes loud and clear.
Born in Bordeaux in 310, Decimus Magnus Ausonius was an excellent orator all his life. His genius earned him an enormous reputation in the Gallo-Roman world, as he progressed from academia via politics to literature. He was made Preceptor and then Consul under the Emperor Gratian, and oscillated continuously between writing and positions of authority. His poetry is renowned for being amongst the most brilliant of his period and was one of the first to sing the praises of Bordeaux and its wines. Ausonius was born in the vines and was their unchallenged champion.
The traces he left in the Bordeaux area have long been a source of fascination for historians. From the end of the sixteenth century, the search began for his most imposing estate, Lucaniacum, whose wine Ausonius extolled the virtues of. Today, there remains little doubt that this property was located where the present chateau stands.
With the passage of time and as a result of working the land, ancient reminders surface: pieces of agricultural implements, mosaics depicting vines and fragments of statues.
Ausonius the writer and winegrower, inciting archaeological speculation and literary inspiration, seems to have been destined to enrich wine culture with his name and reputation. The decision for the property to adopt the former at the end of the sixteenth century boded well. Under the poet’s influence, the heady vision took shape of expressing the very best from the vine in practice and in words.
| Color | Red |
|---|---|
| JA Score | 100 |
| JD Score | 98+ |
| JS Score | 98 |
| NM Score | 98 |
| LPB | 100 |
| VM Score | 96 |
| Grapes | Bordeaux Blend |
| Vintages | 2022 |
| Sizes | 750ml |
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