"A really classic Ausone, reminiscent of the great ones of the 1980s...97-98 points." JamesSuckling.com
Released today for sale en primeur, 2024 Château Ausone scores 97-98 points from JamesSuckling.com and is offered for sale at £1,842 per six bottles, a 30% reduction on last year's opening price.
This is the third vintage to come to the market since the château withdrew from the St-Emilion classification system. Previously one of just four Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) estates, this small 7-hectare property is one of the oldest in Bordeaux (see our notes about its Roman connections, below).
Jeb Dunnuck describes the '24 as a "classy, perfumed, sensationally elegant Ausone", whilst Lisa Perotti-Brown simply calls it "stunning".
Please let us know if you would like to add this wine to your cellar.
Offered en primeur, landing spring 2027.
Magnums available with £20 ex-VAT bottling surcharge, please enquire re other formats.
Producer Profile
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is named after the 4th Century Gallo-Roman poet Ausonius, who was born in Bordeaux and owned 100 acres of vines around St-Emilion. The remains of a Roman Villa lie on the estate and it is speculated that this could have been Ausonius'. The estate has been owned by the Vauthier family since the 1920s. Michel Rolland is employed as consultant. The wines are famously rich and powerful in style. The vineyard is just 7.3 hectares in size. The château sits on the steep side of the limestone plateau. Beneath it are miles of quarries, dug in the sixteenth century. A medieval chapel sits next to the château and gives the second wine its name, Chapelle d'Ausone.
| RED | 2025 | Château Ausone | 75cl | £2,172 per case of 6 | Château Ausone 2025 / / 75cl £2,172 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 Ausone is powerful, dense and packed to the core. Readers will have to be patient with the 2025, as it is quite reticent. In 2025, the Vauthier family did not produce a second wine at Ausone. Consequently, the blend in the Grand Vin is a bit different than in most years, at 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Time in the glass brings out hints of blood orange, rose petal, mint and raspberry jam. It will be fascinating to see how the 2025 ages. 2035-2075. 95-97 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Nuanced layers of rose petals and iris flowers, knitted down, textural and expansive, will take its sweet time to uncoil and uncurl, but you can see exactly how rewarding it will be to follow its journey. A stunning example of Ausone. Harvest September 2 to 23. No Chapelle. 30hl/h yield, 3.5ph, 100% new oak. 2034-2050. 97 points" janeanson.com------"Checking in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from 7.25 hectares of vines on a limestone hillside just outside the village of Saint-Emilion, the 2025 Château Ausone will spend 20 months in new barrels. The Merlot was harvested September 2-12, the Cabernet Franc September 15-18, and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the 18th, from yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare. It's a very classic expression from this château, with ripe black cherries, graphite, classy oak, liquid violets, and chalky minerality on the nose. On the palate, it's rich and medium to full-bodied, with a straight, focused, beautifully concentrated mouthfeel, plenty of chalky tannins, and a great finish. As with most Ausone, the cellar is going to be your friend. 95-97+ points" jebdunnock.com------"The 2025 Ausone represents the entirety of the vineyard this year after trial blends convinced the Vauthiers not to make a Chapelle d’Ausone. There is also 5% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend for the first time, from five tiny plots located on a terrace close to the quarry, so that heat reflects off the wall to ensure ripening. It was picked between September 2 and 23. Almost immediately, I noticed how that soupçon of Cabernet Sauvignon tilts the style of the Grand Vin in a different and, to my mind, positive direction. Beautifully defined, a little more sapid, perhaps just a tad less precocious than usual, there is a sense of classicism in this Ausone that I admire, terroir over growing season perhaps? The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, real depth, silky smooth, with layers of blackberry and raspberry fruit and hints of white pepper and clove. Very long, with a peacock's tail on the finish, this is a fascinating and alluring Ausone that will age with style. Drink: 2035 - 2065. 96-98 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Ausone unwinds in the glass with notes of sweet raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of mint, rose petals and blood orange. Medium- to full-bodied, lively and perfumed, with lovely energy, exquisitely refined tannins and a bright, precise finish, it shows extraordinary potential. Some discreet changes are underway at this address, with picking (between September 2 and 23) broken up plot by plot to a greater degree; a review of the estate's cooperage choices in pursuit of better integration; and, at least this year, no second wine for the first time since 1994—given the quality of Ausone's terroir and vine material, that seems entirely reasonable. The result is one of the most refined, classy Ausone vintages in recent years, and it will be exciting to follow these evolutions over the years to come. 97-99 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"A high-definition wine. Wow. The aromas are incredible, with roses, strawberries and crushed stones. So perfumed. It’s the magic of perfectly ripe cabernet franc. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a firm and silky finish. Sublime length and mouthfeel. Cool, subtle, sophisticated and stunning. So much definition. 13.7% alcohol. A blend of 65% cabernet franc, 30% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. 99-100 points" jamessuckling.com |
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