2013 Château Ausone, St Emilion, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
85% new oak, 22hl/h yield. Harvest October 2-6.
Ausone produces 100 barrels in a normal vintage, but they made just 50 in 2013, and this careful selection has paid off in terms of the quality of the glass. There is both depth and grip, as well as an estate signature. You find a lovely smoky edge with raspberry, redcurrant, salted cracker, saffron, white pepper, and clear finesse. What is proof of the quality of this estate? I tasted this wine around six months ago in a vertical, and it performed less well than in this horizontal, clearly showing that it stands out among its peers in the vintage but not in the lineup of the estate's wines. You'll go a long way to find a more enjoyable 2013 St Emilion.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (February 2022)
Medium garnet in colour, the 2013 Ausone needs a bit of shaking to wake up notes of stewed black cherries, dried cranberries, and cassis, followed by wafts of cigar box, fried herbs, and cast-iron pan. The medium-bodied palate has minerals galore, with a firm, grainy texture and bags of freshness, finishing with great length.
Drink 2023 - 2038
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, (August 2023)
Probably the wine of the vintage, once again. Only 9,000 bottles of the 2013 Ausone were produced, as crop size was 50% normal. However, proprietor Alain Vauthier and his daughter have proven that truly great wine can be produced in some of the most trying conditions Bordeaux wine producers have dealt with over the last 20 years. Yields were only 22 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend was 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot.
The haunting aromas of wet rocks, spring flowers, blue and black fruits and forest floor are followed by an incredibly dense, attractive wine with sweet tannin, stunning concentration and texture, medium body and a depth that is essentially unreal in a vintage such as this. The wine is a superb example of great winemaking under the most difficult circumstances. Unlike more recent Ausones, this should be reasonably drinkable in 5-6 years and yet be capable of lasting 25-30.
Drink 2019 - 2049
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (August 2014)
About this WINE
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a wine estate in St Emilion on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. It takes its name from the poet Ausonius, who is thought to have owned a villa where the estate stands today – just outside the medieval village of St Emilion. Ausone’s vineyards sit atop St Emilion’s limestone plateau and extend in terraces down the côtes. There are just over six hectares of vines planted today, mostly Cabernet Franc along with Merlot. The team practice organic and biodynamic viticulture though without certification.
The estate belongs to the Vauthier family, led by Alain Vauthier and his children, Pauline and Edouard. In 1955, Ausone was ranked at the very top of the St Emilion classification – as Premier Grand Cru Classé A – alongside Château Cheval Blanc. In 2021, both Ausone and Cheval Blanc announced that they were voluntarily withdrawing from the classification.
Ausone is known for its structured, long-lived wines. A second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone, was introduced in the 1990s. The Vauthier family also own a number of other properties nearby in St Emilion, including Château Moulin Saint-Georges, Château La Clotte and Château de Fonbel.
St Émilion
St Émilion is one of Bordeaux's largest producing appellations, producing more wine than Listrac, Moulis, St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux put together. St Emilion has been producing wine for longer than the Médoc but its lack of accessibility to Bordeaux's port and market-restricted exports to mainland Europe meant the region initially did not enjoy the commercial success that funded the great châteaux of the Left Bank.
St Émilion itself is the prettiest of Bordeaux's wine towns, perched on top of the steep limestone slopes upon which many of the region's finest vineyards are situated. However, more than half of the appellation's vineyards lie on the plain between the town and the Dordogne River on sandy, alluvial soils with a sprinkling of gravel.
Further diversity is added by a small, complex gravel bed to the north-east of the region on the border with Pomerol. Atypically for St Émilion, this allows Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon to prosper and defines the personality of the great wines such as Ch. Cheval Blanc.
In the early 1990s there was an explosion of experimentation and evolution, leading to the rise of the garagistes, producers of deeply-concentrated wines made in very small quantities and offered at high prices. The appellation is also surrounded by four satellite appellations, Montagne, Lussac, Puisseguin and St. Georges, which enjoy a family similarity but not the complexity of the best wines.
St Émilion was first officially classified in 1954, and is the most meritocratic classification system in Bordeaux, as it is regularly amended. The most recent revision of the classification was in 2012
Merlot/Cabernet Franc
Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grape varieties commonly used in Bordeaux-style blends, particularly in the Bordeaux region of France. When these two grapes are blended, they can create a wine that combines the best characteristics of each variety.
Merlot is known for its smoothness, soft tannins, and ripe fruit flavours. It often contributes black cherry, plum, and chocolate flavours to the blend. The grapes are relatively easy to grow and ripen earlier than other Bordeaux varieties, making them versatile for blending.
Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, adds structure, depth, and complexity to the blend. It typically brings aromas of red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, along with herbal notes like bell pepper and tobacco. These grapes have thinner skins and can be more challenging to cultivate, requiring specific growing conditions to reach their full potential.
When Merlot and Cabernet Franc are combined, the result is a well-balanced wine with various flavours and aromas. The blend often exhibits a Bordeaux wine's medium to full body, along with a smooth texture and moderate tannins. The specific flavour profile can vary depending on the proportions of each grape in the blend and the terroir and winemaking techniques employed.
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Description
The very sweet cassis and a touch of violet on the nose give this wine a pure, mineral essence. Its ethereal presence on the palate, a sign of its unparalleled elegance, is a rare and refined find. This exceptional wine, a product of a great terroir, is focused, light, intense, and seamless, much like a Grand Cru Burgundy. Its power is not derived from extraction but from the terroir, making it a truly unique and brilliant creation.
Max Lalondrelle, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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