Château Ausone 2018

Exceptionally complex aromas of berries, herbs, flowers, and spices; stunning richness and depth, with finely polished tannins; a great wine again this year.

The 2018 Ausone is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose, predictably, is almost completely shut down at first sniff, requiring considerable aeration to begin to reveal its jaw-dropping perfume of ripe black cherries, wild blueberries and plum preserves, leading to suggestions of candied violets, molten chocolate, licorice and crushed rocks with subtle cedar and pencil-lead hints. The medium- to full-bodied palate (14.5% alcohol) is so tightly wound and nuanced at this stage that it demands real focus to unravel everything going on. In short: a lot. The ripe, rich black and blue fruit layers eventually give way to a beautifully cerebral earthy/mineral subtext, carried by fantastically well-knit tension, delivering an incredibly long, foundation-shaking finish. If the earth doesn’t move when you drink this, you’re probably not doing it right.

This is deep and ripped, coming at you like a powerhouse, then it stops, tiptoes away, then rises to slowly stretch across the palate, showing incredible tension and length. Graphite, flint, earth, crushed stone, blackberry, cassis, and a juicy salinity from the scrape of limestone. It’s pretty clear this will power through the next 30–40 years effortlessly. And it just keeps going. Clearly survived the summer’s drought without breaking a sweat. 3.6 pH. Average vine age is 52 years. Yield of 38 hl/ha.

Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, iodine and dried shiitake mushroom. Opens and evolves to violets and lavender. Full-bodied and tight, with creamy, refined tannins that run the length of the wine and draw you into its depth. It needs years to open, yet it’s already gorgeous to taste. Try after 2027.

The 2018 Ausone is mind-blowing. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. I don't know what more to say. Cabernet Franc is so expressive, so vibrant, so nuanced. Rose petal, cinnamon, star anise and sage meld into a core of red-fleshed fruit. The 2018 doesn't impress with opulence or richness; rather, it is a Saint-Émilion that is all about persistence and energy. I won't be at all surprised if it merits a higher score in the future. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The 2018 is a viscerally thrilling wine of the highest level.

With a depth of flavor that feels like they managed to pack a magnum into a single bottle, this wine is all about its intensity and its incredible sense of minerality and purity. Rich, fabulously concentrated and deep, the seamless finish that surpasses 60 seconds is loaded with velvet-drenched black, blue and red fruit, spice, smoke, earth, licorice, crushed rocks, stones and oyster shells. The cashmere-like tannins and vibrancy are awe-inspiring. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, 14.5% ABV. If you have the money, there are few wines at this level of quality produced from any vineyard in the world.

Deep, dark ruby with violet hints and a delicate, bright rim. Subtle savoury note, pleasant nuances of noble wood, black berry fruit underlay, blackberries, candied orange zest. Complex, taut, fine forest-berry confit, silky, well-integrated tannins, a mineral-salty touch, long length, good ageing potential.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot) Dense, deep, elegant, fresh, silky, complex, Burgundy-like bouquet, raspberries, blackcurrant jelly, fine cedar notes, nougat, mint pralines. Tightly woven, delicate, multi-layered palate with a finely concentrated structure, varied, dense, fresh aromatics, elegant, fine fruit, lots of very fine tannins, very long, concentrated, finely aromatic, explosive finish with many sweet retro-olfactory notes.

(60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot) Dense, deep, elegant, fresh, silky, complex, Burgundy-style bouquet, raspberries, blackcurrant jelly, fine cedar, nougat, mint pralines. A tightly woven, delicate, multi-layered palate with a finely concentrated structure, varied, dense, fresh aromatics, elegant, refined fruit, plenty of very fine tannin, a very long, concentrated, finely aromatic, explosive finish with many sweet lingering flavors. 20/20 2027 - 2060

An exceptional year in St Emilion, and as you would expect Ausone is effortlessly showcasing what can be done. Beautifully sweet yet fresh and fleshy brambled fruit, dense and perfectly placed, showing precision and carefully carved tannins but also joy, laced with sandalwood, cedar, graphite and smoke, all controlled and deftly delivered. 85% new oak, harvest September 25 to October 9, yield 38 hl/ha.

The 2018 Ausone is deep garnet-purple in color. There is oak to begin, giving way to a great core of baked black plums, chocolate-covered cherries, licorice, and incense, plus Indian spices and violets. Full-bodied, it is rich, concentrated, and decadent on the palate, with a fantastic backbone of freshness and velvety tannins, finishing very long and layered.

A Gothic chapel for this vintage, with tannins raised on point and a radiance from the entrance of the nave to the silky heart, finishing on a very limestone apse.

The sanguine juice sets a frank, multifaceted wine that presents itself as a tour de force. Intense and concentrated, it sharpens into a delicate definition of fruit that is almost exotic and briny, generously melded into a sheath of fine-grained tannins.

The nose is elegant and precise, offering a touch of controlled power, a subtly classy richness and a hint of controlled concentration. It reveals notes of pulpy blackberry and pulpy purple plum, with lighter hints of violet, together with touches of ripe black berries, subtle nuances of lily, Sichuan pepper and a discreet hint of spices and blond tobacco. The palate is fruity, finely precise, elegant and characterful, offering freshness, indulgence and delicacy, as well as depth, roundness, lovely freshness/minerality, structure (yet precise) and a fine grain. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, juicy blackcurrant and, more subtly, purple plum, combined with touches of lily and fresh lilac, a hint of fresh/juicy blueberry, as well as flashes of fresh/juicy red berries, hints of nutmeg and sweet spices, with very delicate nuances of tonka bean and blond tobacco in the background. Good length. The tannins are elegant and well-handled.

Very dark, intense, and beautiful color. Highly aromatic nose—delicate, fruity, pure, subtle, and deep. It shows an extra touch of maturity compared to Chapelle. Extremely precise on the attack and immediately suave—which is rare at Ausone—the wine unfolds on a body that is both airy and dense, with exemplary textural precision and a brilliant flavor. Grand finish with a noble grain lifted by a hint of truffle.

A 7.25‑ha vineyard on an asteriated limestone plateau and clay‑limestone slopes. Planting density between 6,500 and 12,600 vines per hectare. Aged for 20 months in barrels. The bouquet of Ausone reveals itself with great finesse and subtlety. It displays numerous nuances, none dominating the others. I detect inviting notes of violets and blackcurrant, along with a chalky touch. Such elegance and creaminess on the attack. The wine is dense, with subtly suave, silky tannins, yet a fine grain that gives it character and allows the tannins, together with the acid structure, to support the entire palate. What precision, what finesse, and what a superb sense of quiet power. A great success. I think the top score is only a matter of time 😉 I will ask Alain and Pauline Vauthier to taste it very regularly, just to be absolutely sure.

96–98. Barrel Sample. This blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot is immensely rich, with a huge structure as well as a sophisticated perfume. It is a wine that is built by bright acidity and structured tannins, with a richness and elegance that demonstrates enormous aging potential.