Château Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005
The 2005 Ausone is a perfect wine of the vintage. It displays crushed rock, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning purity and richness, and perfect harmony among all of its component parts (acidity, tannin, wood, alcohol and extract). Still youthful, this wine should be set aside for another decade and drunk over the following 50-75 years.
Type: Red
Wine Rating: RP100
Country of Origin: France
Region: Bordeaux
Volume: 750ml
About The Winery
The estate was founded by two families, the Chatonnets and the Cantenants. In more recent times, for two centuries, Château Ausone was the property of the Vauthier and the Dubois-Challon families. Today it belongs to Alain Vauthier and his sister Catherine, who bought their aunt Hélyette Dubois-Challon’s share in 1997. Alain Vauthier runs the estate and makes the wine. Since 2005 his daughter Pauline, a qualified oenologist, has been working with him.
The 7 hectares of vineyard, lying in a single plot around the château, are planted with 55% of Cabernet Franc and 45% of Merlot. The vines are very old, with an average age of 50 years. Their low yield (33 hectolitres per hectare) in part explains the wine’s concentration and its potential for improving over time. Roughly 1,500 cases of Ausone are produced each year.