2009 Ch. Ausone, St. Emilion

Deep, sensuous blackberry aromas announce the 2009 Ch. Ausone, followed by a seductive, creamy cassis palate dripping with a high level of superbly-crafted tannins that just melt on the tongue. A much darker wine than its junior siblings, this has all the properties of a true Grand Vin that will last for many, many years – and yet the contradiction is that it is still delicious right now! Concentrated, ripe but not confected in the least, this is silky smooth with a mineral presence on the finish worthy of its status. Spellbinding.

Amazingly focused wine. Long, persistent with extremely fine, filigree tannins. Beautiful texture. Incredible density of fruit behind. Freshness on the palate (55% Cabernet Franc). Absolute harmony. Rivals the outstanding 2005.
(Steven Spurrier - Decanter - April 2010)

Full and gamey and broad and expressive. Very distinctive wine. Still a bit tough and modern and super-focused. Very drying on the end. Quite demanding for now. Drying on the finish. Really quite painful – as though it had been concentrated, or certainly as though the grapes suffered quite a bit of drought stress. Lots of minerality on the finish. Very ambitious. Shades of Pavie 2003? I'm sure many palates will really, really appreciate this wine, and I look forward very much to following its progression as I have the utmost respect for Alain and now Pauline Vauthier interviewed here about the effect of the hail damage her family's vineyards suffered in May. I see the fiche technique specifies a yield of 27hl/ha and 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot but no picking date and I seem to have forgotten to ask.
(Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com - April 2010)

A masterpiece in the making, proprietor Alain Vauthier’s 2009 Ausone boasts a dense purple color along with notes of powdered chalk, crushed rocks and wild blue, red and black fruits. Extravagantly rich with great minerality, precision and freshness as well as a voluptuous texture (unusual for a baby Ausone), this is an extraordinary wine. Sadly, there are fewer than 1,200 cases... for the world. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - February 2012)

Such a dreamy, perfumed aroma to this wine. Full-bodied, but wonderfully polished and integrated. It touches every millimeter of your palate and the texture makes you want to cry. It touches your soul. Goes on for minutes. Another perfect red?
(James Suckling - Wine Spectator - Apr 2010)