2017 Château Ausone Chapelle d'Ausone

Chapelle d'Ausone 2017 is the highly sought-after second wine of Château Ausone, one of Saint-Émilion’s most historic and revered estates. Crafted from the same vertiginous limestone slopes and meticulous winemaking as the Grand Vin, it offers a more approachable expression of this legendary terroir without sacrificing depth or pedigree. With roots stretching back to Roman times and named after the poet-statesman Ausonius, Château Ausone has long been synonymous with finesse, longevity and quiet power in Bordeaux.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone shows a deep garnet-purple hue, hinting at both concentration and youthful intensity. The nose starts out reserved and benefits from a little air, gradually opening to layered aromas of plum jam, Black Forest cherry tart and blueberry compote, intertwined with rose petals, clove spice, pencil shavings and a touch of baked cherry pie. On the palate, this is a medium-bodied Saint-Émilion of impressive elegance rather than sheer weight. Lively, refreshing acidity gives lift to the ripe dark and blue fruits, while satin-textured tannins frame the wine with a polished, almost velvety structure. Subtle oak tones and a fine mineral line from the limestone soil carry through to a long, fragrant finish. While already charming in its youth, 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone has the balance and structure to develop gracefully over the next 10–15 years, gaining further complexity and softness with time in bottle.

Production
Chapelle d’Ausone is sourced from the same steep, south-facing limestone and clay-limestone slopes that define Château Ausone’s tiny, approximately 7-hectare estate on the Saint-Émilion plateau. This privileged terroir, with its excellent drainage, abundant sunlight and cool limestone subsoil, produces small, concentrated berries with naturally vibrant acidity and pronounced minerality. The 2017 blend is 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, all harvested by hand in small parcels and rigorously sorted to ensure only the finest fruit is used. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete vats, respecting each parcel’s character, before the wine is matured for around 18–24 months in French oak barrels, a high proportion of which are new. This careful, small-scale approach mirrors that of the Grand Vin, delivering a refined, precise wine that clearly reflects its noble origin.

Food & Serving
This refined right-bank Bordeaux pairs beautifully with classic dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, veal chops, duck breast, or beef tenderloin with truffle jus. It also works wonderfully alongside earthy mushroom dishes, game birds, and hard or semi-hard cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda. For optimal enjoyment, serve at 16–18°C (about 60–64°F). Decanting for 1–2 hours when young helps the wine shed its initial reserve and allows the floral, spicy notes to fully emerge; as it gains bottle age, a gentle, shorter decant primarily to remove any sediment will be sufficient.

Producer
Château Ausone stands among the most illustrious names in Bordeaux, classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé A in Saint-Émilion and famed for its minuscule production and extraordinary longevity. The estate’s history reaches back to the Roman era and the time of Ausonius, whose name it bears, and it has been continuously associated with viticulture since at least the Middle Ages. Today, its steep, terraced vineyards and limestone caves form one of the region’s most distinctive landscapes. Known for producing powerful yet supremely elegant wines dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Château Ausone is widely regarded as a benchmark for right-bank Bordeaux. Chapelle d’Ausone, the estate’s second wine, offers enthusiasts a more accessible, earlier-drinking glimpse into this storied property, while still reflecting the precision, low yields and uncompromising standards that have made Ausone a reference point in the world of fine wine.

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