2005 Ausone (Ex Chateau 2023)
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Tasting notes
Still youthful with a vivid ruby hue, the 2005 Château Ausone is pure perfection in Saint-Emilion and offers up an absolutely sensational bouquet of ripe black cherries, hints of blue fruits, white truffle, and crushed stone, with a kiss of classy background oak. It hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a flawlessly balanced, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine yet present tannins, and a heavenly finish. It blossoms with time in the glass and offers incredible pleasure today, yet it’s probably 5-7 years away from full maturity, and given this showing, this might be a 75+ year wine when all is said and done. Drink 2031-2080.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2005 Ausone is magnificent. A wine of soaring intensity and class, the 2005 dazzles from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are captivating, with notes of cinnamon, mint, crushed rocks, blood orange, mocha and incense. Graceful and stately in bearing, the 2005 boasts tremendous purity and breathtaking balance. Readers will find a stunning Saint-Émilion that is just at the beginning of what promises to be a very long drinking window that will be measured in decades. It is a towering achievement from the Vauthier family.
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, but oh, so promising, this wine should be set aside for another decade and drunk over the following 50-75 years.
Tasted blind. Classic, ripe claret nose. Very ripe. More austere than some, but lovely freshness. Everything in its place. Long and prancing on the palate. (JR)
About the producer
Ch. Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most respected estates. At this small property, perched atop a hill overlooking the town of Saint-Emilion, the Vauthier family produces some of the finest wines in the region.