Chateau Ausone vertical 1929-2005
Institute of Directors, London
Tasted Tuesday, December 1, 2009 by Rupert with 1,579 views
Introduction
A wonderfully revealing 16 vintage vertical. Once past the first two wines, all showed a common character - a milk chocolate quality to the fruit, not much body, and markedly grippy tannins on the finish. Come the back flight (62, 61, 59, 55, 42, 29) these were uniformly delicious though until then my verdict, like that of the others present, was that these weren't obviously top division wines, and I thought the 89 and 90 particularly unappetising. I was one of only two present who didn't vote the '29 the WOTN, marginally preferring the lily-like fragrance of the 61 to the soapy nose of the 29.
2005 Château Ausone
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Purple, pronounced sweet oak nose, very vanilla, medium bodied, grippy tannin, but fine grained. Unlike some I didn't find this syrupy, but certainly it's sweet. Lord knows how this will turn out.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2001 Château Ausone 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Hard to believe that this is from the same domaine as the 05. Intensely spicy cedar nose, some iodine, some funk, savoury, mouthfilling tannic and vigorous.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1998 Château Ausone 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Sweet and ripe, chocolate and cassis on the nose, fragrant, oaky, open and richly fruited, but grippily tannic
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1996 Château Ausone 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Not dissimilar to the 98, lots of sweet oak, but with a mouthwatering nose, intense fruit, dense and tannic - most put this way behind the 98, but I thought it not far off.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1990 Château Ausone 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Smooth, chocolately nose, milky, silky textured, very grippy - not enough life here for me and it comes over sickly.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1989 Château Ausone 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Very similar indeed to the 90 with its milk chocolate nose, more tea-like on the palate, creamy texture, very grippy - but ultimately cloying
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1983 Château Ausone 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Once again a milk chocolate nose, but this time mint and spice to lift it, much fresher, silky texture - very attractive [This was generally disliked, particularly the raisiny quality to the fruit]
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1976 Château Ausone 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
This is more like it. Strong, savoury, cedar nose, deep, fresh, the tannins grippy - this is young and vigorous
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1971 Château Ausone 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Volatile, pleasingly savoury, lots of cedar, not big, but very pleasant
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1966 Château Ausone 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Strong, stalky nose, a bit raw and coarse, but enough sweetness at the core to make it palatable
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1962 Château Ausone 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Violets and iodine on the nose, cedary, persistent, silky textured, but with a drying finish. Fine, mature, mid-weight claret
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1961 Château Ausone 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Like the 62, but with more of everything - violets, iodine and a ravishing lily of the valley perfume, a bit of funk to lift it, and finished with a tannic bite, lovely and exciting
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1959 Château Ausone 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Marked sweet chocolate nose, fresh and alive, soft on the palate with a deep, sweet core. This was lovely
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1955 Château Ausone 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
The most conventional claret so far - fresh, cedary with a stalky edge, but appetising and with sweet fruit on the palate
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1942 Château Ausone 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Gentle sweet fruit and cold tea, mellow, but fully alive and rather lovely [I didn't realise that 42 has a very low reputation]
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1929 Château Ausone 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Soapy nose, but once on to the palate this was glorious - fresh cedary fragrance, smooth, waves of flavour, very very lovely - an almost unanimous WOTN
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No