2012 Château Ausone Chapelle d'Ausone

2012 Chapelle d'Ausone is the second wine of the legendary Château Ausone, offering a remarkably refined taste of this iconic Saint-Émilion estate in a more approachable style. Crafted from the same vertiginous limestone slopes and with the same fastidious care as the Grand Vin, it delivers depth, elegance and a sense of place that is unmistakably Ausone. Rooted in a history that traces back to Roman times and the poet-statesman Ausonius, this cuvée carries the legacy of one of Bordeaux’s most storied properties into a wine that is both collectible and ready to enjoy.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2012 Chapelle d’Ausone is deep ruby with a vibrant, youthful rim, hinting at its concentration and finesse. The nose is beautifully expressive and layered: wild red cherries, ripe plum and blackcurrant mingle with exotic spices, dried violets and rose petals, while notes of mocha, espresso, graphite and a subtle smokiness add complexity. On the palate, the wine is dense yet finely sculpted, with a silken texture and precise, chalky tannins drawn from Ausone’s limestone soils. Flavours of red and dark berry fruit are intertwined with cocoa, roasted coffee bean, sweet tobacco and a savoury mineral edge that carries through the long, persistent finish. Already harmonious and open, this 2012 is drinking beautifully now but still has the structure and freshness to evolve gracefully; it should show at its best between now and the mid‑2030s.

Production
Chapelle d’Ausone is sourced from Château Ausone’s tiny, approximately 7-hectare estate, perched on the steep limestone plateau and slopes of southeastern Saint-Émilion. This privileged terroir, with its pure limestone and thin clay-limestone topsoil, provides excellent drainage, moderates temperature and imparts the distinctive mineral backbone that defines the wines. The vineyards are planted primarily with Merlot and a high proportion of Cabernet Franc, both meticulously tended and harvested by hand at optimal ripeness. In the cellar, Chapelle d’Ausone is vinified with the same precision as the Grand Vin: the grapes are carefully sorted, then fermented in temperature‑controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks to preserve purity and finesse. The wine is aged for around 18–24 months in French oak barrels, many of them new, adding subtle spice, structure and depth without overwhelming the fruit.

Food & Serving
This 2012 Chapelle d’Ausone is a natural partner for refined, flavourful dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, beef tenderloin, veal chops, duck breast or game birds with truffle jus. It also pairs beautifully with mushroom-based dishes, slow-braised beef, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda, which echo its earthy, savoury nuances. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression; if opened in its youth or at the beginning of its drinking window, decanting for 1–2 hours helps the aromatics unfurl and the tannins soften. For bottles fully in their plateau of maturity, a gentle splash-decant shortly before serving is sufficient to let the wine shine.

Producer
Château Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious and historic estates, classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A in Saint‑Émilion and renowned for its tiny production and extraordinary quality. Its origins reach back to the 4th century, when the Roman poet and statesman Ausonius is believed to have owned vineyards on these same slopes, a legacy that has shaped the estate’s identity over centuries of continuous viticulture through the Middle Ages and beyond. Today, Château Ausone is revered for its singular limestone terroir and its Cabernet Franc–driven style, producing some of the most long-lived and refined wines of the Right Bank. Chapelle d’Ausone, the second wine, is crafted with the same care and philosophy, offering discerning drinkers a more immediately accessible expression of this legendary property while still reflecting the pedigree and precision that have made Château Ausone a benchmark in Saint‑Émilion.

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