Ausone 2009

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A

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Tasting Notes
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+ (98+ points) Score: 98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2060 01 March 2012
The 2009 Ausone, was produced at probably twice the yields of the absolutely remarkable 2008, but is another profound effort from Vauthier. Dense purple in color, with an almost liqueur of limestone intermixed with acacia flowers, blueberry, raspberry, and boysenberry fruit, the use of 100% new oak is completely concealed by the wealth of fruit and the lavish richness this wine exhibits. Nevertheless, there is a striking precision, minerality, and purity to Ausone. This wine might be far more drinkable in 7-8 years than the 2005 or 2008 will be with the same amount of aging. Nevertheless, any person lucky enough to latch on to one of the 1200 or so cases of this wine should realize it is going to evolve for 20-50 years. (Tasted once.) Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher. Score: 95 - 97 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-60 01 April 2010
Incredible nose of currants and blueberries. Flowers too. Licorice. Such purity on the nose of Cabernet Franc. Full body, incredible structure, with fabulous tannins and a long, long finish. Built out of stone. The prefect Ausone. Try after 2022. Score: 100 James Suckling, - Maturity: 2022+ 15 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? Score: 97 - 100 James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2010
Tasted at Chateau Ausone. A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, cropped at just 27hl/ha (16,000 bottles) with the first passage of young Merlot vines on the plateau picked on 29th September, the older Merlot vines from the 2nd until the 6th October and then the Cabernet Franc on three days from 8th until 10th October. Leaving the sample for five minutes to open up, the Ausone ’09 is bridled with a sensuous bouquet of blackberries, blueberry, violets, a touch of orange zest and a hint of vanilla from the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with exceptionally fine focus and balance, very fine tannins, a thread of citrus lemon that is interwoven from the start to the finish, a feminine Ausone, perhaps less supple and more linear than other Saint Emilion 2009, but demonstrating much better structure and freshness. There is real vitality and joie-de-vivre that really evolves with aeration. Shimmering finish. Wonderful. Tasted March 2010. Score: 97 - 99 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 April 2010
Closed at first, then revealing minerals and violets on the nose. Very heady and complex. Excellent plum and blueberry fruit purity with lots of middle weight and body. The fruit is very lifted, almost luminous in quality, but with plenty of Cabernet complexity and spiciness. Generous in the mouth. Seamless and smooth with a long, slightly hot finish, on the fruit. Score: 96 - 98 Albany Vintners, - 01 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. 17.5+ points Score: 17 - 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2020-2035 30 March 2010

Tasting Notes

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+ (98+ points)

Score: 98

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2060 01 March 2012

The 2009 Ausone, was produced at probably twice the yields of the absolutely remarkable 2008, but is another profound effort from Vauthier. Dense purple in color, with an almost liqueur of limestone intermixed with acacia flowers, blueberry, raspberry, and boysenberry fruit, the use of 100% new oak is completely concealed by the wealth of fruit and the lavish richness this wine exhibits. Nevertheless, there is a striking precision, minerality, and purity to Ausone. This wine might be far more drinkable in 7-8 years than the 2005 or 2008 will be with the same amount of aging. Nevertheless, any person lucky enough to latch on to one of the 1200 or so cases of this wine should realize it is going to evolve for 20-50 years. (Tasted once.) Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher.

Score: 95 - 97

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-60 01 April 2010

Incredible nose of currants and blueberries. Flowers too. Licorice. Such purity on the nose of Cabernet Franc. Full body, incredible structure, with fabulous tannins and a long, long finish. Built out of stone. The prefect Ausone. Try after 2022.

Score: 100

James Suckling, - Maturity: 2022+ 15 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?

Score: 97 - 100

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2010

Tasted at Chateau Ausone. A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, cropped at just 27hl/ha (16,000 bottles) with the first passage of young Merlot vines on the plateau picked on 29th September, the older Merlot vines from the 2nd until the 6th October and then the Cabernet Franc on three days from 8th until 10th October. Leaving the sample for five minutes to open up, the Ausone ’09 is bridled with a sensuous bouquet of blackberries, blueberry, violets, a touch of orange zest and a hint of vanilla from the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with exceptionally fine focus and balance, very fine tannins, a thread of citrus lemon that is interwoven from the start to the finish, a feminine Ausone, perhaps less supple and more linear than other Saint Emilion 2009, but demonstrating much better structure and freshness. There is real vitality and joie-de-vivre that really evolves with aeration. Shimmering finish. Wonderful. Tasted March 2010.

Score: 97 - 99

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 April 2010

Closed at first, then revealing minerals and violets on the nose. Very heady and complex. Excellent plum and blueberry fruit purity with lots of middle weight and body. The fruit is very lifted, almost luminous in quality, but with plenty of Cabernet complexity and spiciness. Generous in the mouth. Seamless and smooth with a long, slightly hot finish, on the fruit.

Score: 96 - 98

Albany Vintners, - 01 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. 17.5+ points

Score: 17 - 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2020-2035 30 March 2010

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