Ausone vertical (20 vintages)

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.

List of wines sorted by score:

Ausone 2008 – 98
Ausone 2007 – 97
Ausone 2015 – 96
Ausone 2006 – 96
Ausone 1996 – 95
Ausone 2005 – 95
Ausone 2011 – 95
Ausone 1990 – 94
Ausone 2014 – 94
Ausone 2012 – 94
Ausone 2002 – 94
Ausone 2001 – 93
Ausone 2000 – 93
Ausone 1999 – 92
Ausone 2003 – 92
Ausone 2010 – 91
Ausone 2004 – 90
Ausone 1994 – 89
Ausone 1986 – 89

• 2002 Château Ausone 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Bright red fruit, just a few blue berries in the mix, roasted coffee beans and milk chocolate, some spices, dry leaves and hints of earth. A long, earthy finish. Lots of structure with plenty of acidity and grippy tannin. Rich and voluptuous. A promising start to the vertical.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Château Ausone 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  A bit restrained, maybe even closed. Red and blue type of berries but mostly raspberry, a bit of espresso and more dried herbs. Palate in good balance adding some leathery complexity, giving away the age. The finish unveils plenty of tannin that was masked by the acidity initially. Otherwise finely structured with a detailed nose.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Ausone 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  A slightly darker fruit profile adding bramble berry notes to the raspberry core. Dark chocolate and dried herbs. Some cedar wood which is noteworthy as the oak as such was rarely discernible in other vintages. Quite juicy palate, plenty of tannin.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Château Ausone 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Red berry fruit with distinctly minty aromas layering over otherwise dried types of herbs. Heavy on mineral notes (mostly smoke). Overall pretty restrained. The palate more fruit forward but also felt quite wild and not yet in balance with mouth-coating and drying tannin.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1986 Château Ausone 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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 leather, Williams and Kirsch, red but also dark cherry with an arrow of mint piercing through it all. Also dried herbs. Really nice nose, but the palate already showed signs of tiring with plenty of tannin left which could not be balanced by neither the acidity nor aromas. Thinly textured too. That said, what was left in terms of aromas was very nicely aged.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1990 Château Ausone 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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 cherry fruit, slightly reductive initially with some popcorn and egg shell notes. Otherwise pretty detailed with a mix of fresh and some dried herbs. A concentrated palate with plenty of structure and pretty thick texture, but all in good harmony and showing a nicely aged aroma profile. Did like this much more than my last bottle about a year ago which I scored 90.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Château Ausone 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Precise and layered at first sight (or better: at first whiff). Milk coffee, fresh herbs featuring greenish notes (in a good way, mind you). Raspberry and gooseberry fruit. On the palate incredibly wild with acidity and tannins engaged in a bare-knuckle fight to the death - too bad as the nose was highly promising.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Château Ausone 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Not overly expressive, but fine and detailed showing pretty ripe berry fruit, a bit of espresso, cedar wood. Aromatically mostly fruit on the palate, decent balance in a high intensity frame. Not sure about this one… is there potential from cellaring?

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Château Ausone 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Plush on arrival, concentrated bramble berry fruit, also blueberry, and a pretty unique dark floral dimension. Multi-layered with spice, herbs, mineral and floral notes all to be found for the savvy taster. High octane palate, polished with steel rope like tension, great balance. Clearly young but simply yummy!

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Château Ausone 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Raspberry, but in a slightly jammy way, also notes of coffee, dried herbs, just marginally minty. Highly concentrated palate again, juicy and vibrant with loads of tannin, but nicely counterbalanced by the acidity and aroma intensity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1994 Château Ausone 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  A big of cellar must, leather, dry earth and barnyard come to mind first. Fruit appears more distilled than fermented with some heat noticeable. There is an aging notes complexity to it that does not go without appeal. But on the palate very rustic, lacking balance front, right and centre.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Château Ausone 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Precise and detailed nose presenting this Ausone most akin to what I would have expected. Roasted coffee bean, just a bit of mocha, some perfume with hints of sweet notes. A nicely juicy palate, good tension and balance. Highly palatable and in a great drinking spot.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Château Ausone 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Sweet and perfumed notes provide for an incredibly sexy show. Mon-cherry, blueberry and bramble berry fruit, hints of mocha. Side shows of mint and even almost Napaesqsue eucalyptus. Incredibly light despite lots of power and concentration on the palate. Juicy and fruity with the intensity being carried all the way from the attack to an expanding finish.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Château Ausone 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Espresso, actually even ristretto, coupled with dark cherry, just marginally jammy, dried herbs, hints of sweet spice. A nose flirting with perfection. The palate in great balance with fresh acidity dancing harmoniously with tannins and alcohol, but not quite with the ultra-fine finishing of the 2008.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Château Ausone 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Château Ausone 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  A somewhat darker fruit profile where some noticeable heat distracted. A nicely concentrated palate aromatically with plenty of fruit even if with a tannic overhang in the finish. I dismissed this as off-vintage and hardly bothered spending much time with it in the flight. Consistently scored this a year ago at a 2010 Bordeaux vertical.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Château Ausone 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  Fruit-forward showing with a plush, on balance dark-type of fruit profile. Some dried herbs, medicinal notes and oak in the mix. Sweet elements too. Nicely juicy on the palate with plenty of bright red berry fruit and lots of tension. Some detail, some balance - but not on a par with what the best vintages had to offer.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Château Ausone 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  This clearly came across pretty closed up fresh from the bottle, but already presenting a fabulous array of aromas from espresso, raspberry, mint, dried herbs, vanilla beans, white chocolate and almonds. Great tension with fresh acidity on the palate. A slumbering rock star – best to properly decant or wait 5+ years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Château Ausone 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  More herbal than other vintages showing green, fresh as well as dried herbs, a bit of hemp and dry wood. Dark cherry fruit and blue berries as well as a spicy dimension of white pepper. The palate not quite in the same league unfortunately with bitter notes tainting the aromatic picture, I found. OK balance but with quite high levels of tannin.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Château Ausone 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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:
  A bit restrained or closed, but hinting at delicate and detailed flavours with a mostly red berry type of fruit, minty herbal notes, tea leaves and drops of coffee. Fruit-forward, juicy palate even if quite wild.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Alter Ego 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  No decant but would likely benefit from one. A bit of black coffee, leather, black currant fruit and mineral layers. Fruit-forward palate with an emphasis on freshness. The crowd generally liked it, but ultimately a decent, but rather simple wine in my view.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Château Nairac 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Nicely aged Sauternes aromatics with some honey, a bit of saffron, a bit of spice, candid fruit and banana. What‘s lacking is precision with aromas pretty blurred and not entirely clean. Palate has sufficient acidity, but with a bitter aftertaste to it and a slightly wobbly balance.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue