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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 96.2 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 15 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 12/12/2023 & rated 96 points: Salon Ficofi Paris walkabout tasting and dinner, no detailed tasting notes. From DMG, generous, lush, good structure, much better than the 2011 alongside it. 96+ (1719 views) | | | Tasted by Alykhan V on 11/28/2023 & rated 96 points: Drunk alongside 2006 and 2014
Like the 2006 but even more complex and slightly more concentrated. Not heavy. Better than 06 or 14
Mineral, red fruits. A brilliant vintage (701 views) | | | Tasted by d.f.c on 10/17/2023 & rated 97 points: Definitely a powerful, full-bodied and well-rounded right-bank Bordeaux wine. Intense aroma of fresh grass, pine and dark berries. Tannins and acohold levels are high, yet silky smooth to drink. Ausone never fails; and it has consistently out performed its peers from the rignt-bank, say Angelus, Cheval Blanc and Pavie. (947 views) | | | Tasted by DWStyle on 5/28/2023 & rated 98 points: Moved nicely in the right direction since last bottle.
This bottle started very pretty and then became so gorgeously addictive as it opened up. A background of velvety soft tannins, coats your entire mouth , in a delightfully enjoyable way. I’m trying to wait for at least 3 years for the next bottle. (1586 views) | | | Tasted by DWStyle on 8/16/2022 & rated 97 points: Drank my first bottle of an ex-château half case.
Brief note: I love right bank Merlot /Cab Franc blends and in this case 55 CF /45 Merlot . Needs 2-3 more years to resolve the tannins. Beautiful silky mouth feel, cab franc nose, good structure, a star in the making! 99+ potiental within the next two decades. Currently 97 IMO. Going to put the other bottles in a cold dark cellar and try to forget them for a half a decade or so! (3194 views) | | | Tasted by Sedal on 1/27/2022 & rated 98 points: Ausone was tasted next to Mouton R 09 and Margaux 09.
Had nice dinner with a friend of mine who is a recognized wine taster.
His clear favorite was Ausone. I guess he would have rated it 100 points, but we did not talk about ratings, but it was his WOTN and we also had La Tache 2012 or 2013.
This wine was sublime and is wine in the making.
Personally Margaux was my favorite - but all were great. (2817 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 9/8/2021 & rated 93 points: 20 Vintages of Ausone (1986 - 2015): All wines tasted single blind. Ausone is a rare bird and hence, the term „once in a lifetime“ certainly applies to this tasting. A few oberservations: 1) Huge quality improvement in recent years: Only after 2005 I can see Ausone up there with the best Bordeauxs thanks to less oak, more depth and precision and a hightened elegance. 2) The high Cabernet Franc share in the blend (ever increasing) makes these wines quite unique, lighter and with more airiness and a darker fruit expression than most right banks. 3) The wines need a lot of time: Ausone is rather a late bloomer and does not provide as much early drinking fun as many of its right bank peers - especially the great vintages (05, 09, 10, 15). 4) The best wines with the highest scores were almost all off-vintages (a first for me). The highest scores went to 08, 06, 07, 14. These wines are weightless and show how great the big vintages will be once mature. Only the 05 was up there with the off-vintages. 5) Wine of the night and my best off-vintage Bordeaux ever was the 2008 (rated 98 pts).
TN: Rather muted nose which needed a bit of swirling to reveal some ripe, dark fruit. Not open and inviting. Same is true for the palate with dark berries, minerality and herbs. A wall of tannins will need a lot more years to soften and open up, gain creaminess and become lighter. A bottle two years ago showed much better (95 pts), so I guess this has shut down recently. Like the 2005 and 2015, this has a lot of substance and is quite promising but in this tasting it didn’t really show all it has in store. A bit more air might have helped here as witnessed by a bottle of the 2016 we had recently which needed a few hours of air to open up and showed brilliantly (rated 97 pts).
Decanting: Not decanted, not sure how much more air would have helped here. I would give it at least 3-4 hours in the decanter. Better just wait. (3890 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 8/30/2021 & rated 93 points: Ausone vertical (20 vintages) (Fribourg): Ausone vertical featuring 20 vintages from the 1986-2015 period. Hosted by a private collector an moderated by J-M Quarin. All wines were served single-blind with no prior decant. What struck me was the outstanding performance of some of the off-vintages, especially 2008, 2007 and 2006. That said I was super-excited about the 2015 which was pretty closed but showed enormous potential. The notoriously late-maturing profile was apparent with many of the 90ies vintages not yet ready. Full list of vintages and scores included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Dark coffee and, on balance, darker berry fruit, some dried herbs and maybe barnyard. Came across slightly restrained at this stage. In terms of complexity more narraw and balance not quite perfect with lingering, slightly dry tannins. (2768 views) | | | Tasted by steinersing on 11/9/2019 & rated 98 points: Still nowhere near my drinking window - great tannins, shows well, nose a bit opening (3932 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 6/23/2019 & rated 95 points: Bordeaux 2009 - 10 Years On - 47 Reds; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019: 2009 Bordeaux after 10 years. 48 red wines. The left bank (average rating 94.2) clearly trumps the right bank (92.6): Elegance, purity and freshness vs over-extraction, ripeness and oxidation. But there are some winners on the right bank (Cheval, Petrus, Hosanna for now, Lafleur, Trotanoy medium-term) but the highest scores were given to left bank wines (Margaux #1 overall, Palmer, Mouton, for now, Latour, St. Juliens medium-term). I guess purists will not like the loads of oak-derived aromas which in some wines are great but can make the wines a bit slutty (Cheval, Margaux, quite a lot of right banks). But there are plenty of more classically shaped wines too. Overall, the 2009s are a lot of fun with many pockets of greatness but I would be very selective on the right bank. If you like more elegant, subtle and classic wines I would focus on 2005/2010/2016. All wines tasted blind and without decanting.
TN: This wine showed the freshest, most terroir-driven profile of the 24 right bank wines we had. While Cheval Blanc, VCC, Petrus where more on the slutty, hedonistic side of the spectrum, this is clearly more an intellectual wine. Lots of limestone, crushed rocks, graphite rather cool dark berries and on the palate more fresh strawberries. At first the nose was a tad muted but opened up with time. Medium+ complexity but well balanced. Tannins still slightly noticeable but very fine. This is a balanced, elegant and long wine and in this round with all the power and ripeness definitely rather an odd-one-out. If you open a bottle today, I would give it a long decant (8+ hours is advised). 95++ points.
Average blind score 4 tasters: 94.8
Rank: 18th out of 48 wines
(shared rank with Montrose, Brane Cantenac, Beausejour Duffau) (6233 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 6/23/2019 & rated 94 points: 2009 Bordeaux 10 years in the bottle 2-day horizontal; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019 (Fribourg): Part of a grand Bordeaux 2009 tasting spanning 2 days that revealed 1) a right bank struggling with overripe fruit and overwhelming tannins, 2) wide spreak between top performers and laggards, 3) left bank, and especially Margaux, outshone the right bank cousins, 4) Top wines: Palmer, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Vieux Chateau Certan.
Tasting note:
Very ripe fruit, some herbs and a bit of medicinal notes. Juicy and fruity palate. Layered texture. (4719 views) | | | Tasted by Housefamily on 3/31/2016 & rated 100 points: With Steve and Marie madison (5973 views) | | | Tasted by felixp on 2/22/2015 & rated 92 points: when a Chinese uncle-in-law says "we should have a look at some 09 Bordeaux tonight" I was happy with my choice of a 09 Le Gay to yet another CNY dinner. I should have guessed, he turns up with an 09 Ausone!! After a week of festivities, it was only the two of us drinking red tonight, allowing me to savour both wines with a delightful Northern Chinese spectrum of foods. Even enhanced by the restaurant having excellent glassware, not often the case here in China.
My wine double decanted and re-bottled four hours previously, his opened and left alone last night.
The Ausone might be the "blackest" wine I have ever seen, eclipsing even the oil-sump shiraz wines from home.
Even after 24 hours, the nose was somewhat reticent, hints of new oak, perhaps subtle band aid and violets. A monumental palate that went on forever, but again, I just wonder if there was a hint of brett and minuscule green elements (although I am incredibly sensitive to green in wines)
At this stage, more a scientific exercise (and a very expensive one at that!!) than an experience of hedonism, but I am (moderately) confident in thirty years this will develop into a legend. However, really scored as a stab in the dark, it was not a massive pleasure to drink tonight. OTOH, the 03 Ausone we had recently was absolutely stellar.
92++ tonight, sorry, but that is how we saw it!!! (6120 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/28/2010 & rated 97 points: 2009 Ausone offers crushed stone, smoke, fennel, and black with blue fruits in the nose. Full bodied and supple, this rich, silky, voluptuous wine, produced from 55% cabernet franc and 45% merlot, ends with sweet plums, minerals, and dark berries. 96-98 Pts (9623 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 4/1/2010 & rated 99 points: 65% Cab Franc 35% Merlot
Blue and black fruit, cassis, lavender, perhaps the biggest wine except Pavie, PD and BM. It has incredible concentration, extremely silky texture and long finish while completely maintaining freshness. It shows noticeable tannin but much less obtrusive than that of Perse’s wine. 98-100 pts. (9316 views) |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, A Test Of Greatness: 2009 Bordeaux Ten Years On (March 2019) (3/1/2019)
(Ausone Ausone Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/14/2019)
(Ch Ausone St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2019, Issue #79, Château Ausone The Most Magical Terroir in St. Émilion
(Château Ausone) Login and sign up and see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2013, Issue #40
(Château Ausone) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/16/2013)
(Ch Ausone St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2010, Issue #28
(Château Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classé A) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, May/June 2010, IWC Issue #150
(Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/30/2010)
(Ch Ausone St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2010, Issue #26, The 2009 Bordeaux Vintage- Futures’ Glory?
(Château Ausone) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2010
(Chateau Ausone St Emilion) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2010
(Château Ausone St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and View From the Cellar and The World of Fine Wine and Winedoctor. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Ausone Producer website – Read more about Chateau AusoneRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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