Chapelle d'Ausone Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOP

“Inviting aromas of berries and plums mingled with vine smoke, spices and loamy soil introduce the 2021 Chapelle d'Ausone, a medium to full-bodied, melting and precise wine that's pretty and seamless, with lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. As usual, it's a blend of wine from young vines with a few barriques of declassified Ausone. 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. 91-93” William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate ----------------------------------------------------- “The 2021 Chapelle d'Ausone is an unusual blend of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, a choice forced by significant losses in the Merlots. Crushed rose petal, mint, red berry fruit, mocha and spice are nicely lifted. A wine of mid-weight structure and class, the Chapelle is very nicely done in what was a brutal vintage for the Vauthier family and for this wine. Yields are down 50%. The 2021 finishes with a lovely burst of understated floral intensity. 90-92” Antonio Galloni, Vinous