Château Ausone Saint-Emilion AOP, 1er Cru Classé A

Der 2021er Château d'Ausone ist schon in seiner Jugend ein ausgesprochen tiefgründiger Wein, der seine intensiven Aromen erst sukzessive freigibt. Heidelbeeren und wilde Rose, orientalische Gewürze und Bitterorangen verschmelzen zu einem sinnlichen Erlebnis. Dafür vergeben wir 96 Tesdorpf-Punkte. Eingestuft als Premier Grand Cru Classé A, gehört das Château d'Ausone nicht nur der höchsten Qualitätsstufe in Saint-Émilion an, sondern repräsentiert diese auch in besonderer Weise. Auf geradezu idealem Terrain gelegen und mit einer Anbaufläche von weniger als acht Hektar, sind die Weine von Château d'Ausone ausgesprochen rar. Der hohe Anteil von Cabernet Franc verleiht ihnen zudem ein recht eigenständiges Geschmacksprofil. Vielen Kennern gilt das Weingut im Besitz von Alain Vauthier als bester Weinproduzent des gesamten Bordelais. Château Ausone, das ist für viele Bordeaux-Fans ebenso ein absoluter Kultwein, wie Château Margaux oder Château Mouton. 96 Tesdorpf -------------------------------- A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day! One of Bordeaux's greatest terroirs, perched on the edge of Saint-Émilion's limestone escarpment, Ausone comprises vineyards on the slopes (of which one, Le Poirier, situated directly below the château, supplies the core of the assemblage) and on the walled terraces that cling to the top of the plateau. It's a sheltered mesoclimate, planted predominantly with Cabernet Franc, with at most 1.2 meters of clay above the rock. The vineyards are old, and when missing vines have been replaced, the replacements are tagged and harvested separately. In the winery, the fruit ferments in wooden vats with twice-daily délestages (rack-and-return) until alcoholic fermentation begins to subside, at which point the cap is simply moistened until the moment of décuvage and pressing. Maturation follows, in a cool former quarry hewn from the limestone, in entirely new barrels (mainly from Taransaud and Demptos) and lasts for some 20 months. The result is one of the region's most characterful and long-lived wines, endowed with striking intensity, precision and persistence.t 97-100 Wine Advocate (William Kelley) -------------------------------- The 2021 Ausone could turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. It shows terrific balance, with just enough mid-palate sweetness and texture to fill out the layers. To be sure the 2021 is an understated Ausone, but all the elements are so nicely balanced. Red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, spice and mocha are pushed forward. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, with the Merlot more in evidence today while the Franc is felt mostly in the wine's finish. Rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange add an exotic flourish. This year's tasting at Ausone consisted of just three wines: La Clotte, Chapelle d'Ausone and Ausone. The Vauthier family endured a brutal year in which frost and mildew wiped out 80-90% of the production at Fonbel, Simard, Haut-Simard and St. Georges. Those wines will be presented only as finished, bottled wines. Yields at La Clotte and Ausone were down much less, on the order of 20% or so. “We farm biodynamically out of a sense of conviction, because we think it is the right thing to do,” Pauline Vauthier told me. “But losing a large part of the harvest is very difficult. If we have another year like 2021, we might seriously reconsider some of our choices.” 93-95 Vinous (Antonio Galloni) -------------------------------- Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Kräuterwürzig, tabakig, rotbeerige Nuancen, ein Hauch von Ribiseln und Kirschen, feine Noten von Orangenzesten. Saftiger, mittelgewichtiger Körper, feine rote Frucht, gut integrierte, perfekt gereifte Tannine, delikat und frisch, Johannisbeeren im Abgang, mineralisch, zart salzig, verfügt über eine sehr gute Länge, Limetten im Finale. 97 Falstaff (Peter Moser) -------------------------------- Full-bodied, but so elegant and fresh, with a silky, elegant tannin texture. Very deep and expansive. Lots going on already with plenty of perfume. Blueberries, cloves, lavender and some wild-berry notes. Dark cocoa, too. Some espresso character at the end. Wonderful interplay of spices and fruit. Long. It keeps going. 96-97 James Suckling