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Tasting Notes
55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. 20 months in 85% new oak. A little closed on the nose but this opens out to show rich dark fruit and some mineral character. The palate is deep and complex. This is an austere rather than exuberant Ausone that is highly structured and very firm in character. FINE+RARE
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
FINE+RARE
More reviews and scores
Wonderful aromas of blackberries and blueberries with flowers. Very Cabernet Franc. Full body, with intense fruit, tannins and fresh acidity. Tangy and lively. Minerals with lemon and orange peel undertones. Super lively. Texture is beautiful. Same blend as always. 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
One can’t say enough about the amazing job that Alain Vauthier and his daughter have done at this historic property on the decomposed limestone slopes of St.-Emilion. Not surprisingly, the 2012 Ausone is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage. Inky purple in color, with notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers and blueberry and black raspberry, the wine grows on the palate, offering up amazing concentration. There is no heaviness or cloying characteristics. Pure, rich, full-bodied and, although accessible, it is capable of lasting 30 or more years. This will be one of the profound 2012s, following what Haut Brion and Mission Haut Brion did in Pessac-Léognan. Drink it 2022-2050+. eRobertParker.com.April, 2015
Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scents—very floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier. Tasted January 2016. Ocrt 2016, www.robertparker.com, Drink: 2022-2050
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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.