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Chateau Ausone - St Emilion 1st Grand Cru 2016

RM5,599.00
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The 2016 Ausone is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc picked 10-14 October and 14-19 October, respectively, at 40 hectoliters per hectare. It is matured in 80% new oak with a light toasting, a move that Alain and Pauline Vauthier have made in recent years just to lessen the impact of the oak. There is a palpable stateliness about the Ausone this year. It is extraordinarily pure and articulates its terroir as well as any vintage that I can remember over the last 20-odd years. It is not as flamboyant as other Saint Emilions, more correct and precise. The palate is very elegant and precise. I adore the exquisite balance of this Ausone, the precision and fineness of the tannin, the effortlessness that it conveys. This is classy and sophisticated, satin-like in texture with a long and sensual finish. Not an Ausone that is going to blaze across the sky, this is a cerebral, intellectual Ausone that will entrance for many years to come. Vinous: 99Pts; Wine Advocate: 99Pts; Decanter: 99Pts; James Suckling: 98Pts; Jeb Dunnuck: 98Pts; Jancis Robinson: 18/20

Collection:

Wines,

Tags:

90 Points and above, Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Ausone, France, French wine, Merlot, premium wine, Rare wine, red, Red wine, Right Bank, St Emilion, St Emilion 1st Grand Cru, Wine,
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Full-bodied

Raspberry

Oaky

Earthy

Spicy

Weight:

750ml

Alcohol Level:

12.50%

Size:

750ml

Brand:

Chateau Ausone

Country:

France

Family:

Red Wine

Grape Variety:

50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc

Vintage:

2016

Region Information:

Bordeaux

Chateau Ausone is named after the Roman poet Ausonius who owned over 100 acres of vineyard around Saint Emilion. It is perched on the hillside in the southern outskirts of the village of Saint Emilion. Ausone has only 7.3 hectares of vines and its vineyards (Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 50%) flourish on a steep, south-east facing slope, protecting them from cold north winds and westerly rain. Those vines at the top of the slope thrive on limestone (the `St. Emilion plateau') whilst those further down benefit from a clay/loam topsoil (the 'Cotes').

With only seven hectares and a production at most of 2000 dozen, Ausone is the smallest of Bordeaux's first growths (Cheval Blanc makes five times as much and used to make more). Ausone struggled during the 1950s and 1960s, but with the hiring of new regisseur Pascal Delbeck in 1976, the estate returned to producing wines worthy of its outstanding historic reputation. Recently Ausone has been at the very peak of its form and with the ubiquitous Michel Rolland now acting as consultant, it is now producing ultra-rich, lush, exotically fruity wines that require a minimum 10 years of bottle ageing.

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