2019 Château Ausone Magnum

The 2019 Château Ausone Magnum is a majestic Saint‑Émilion Grand Vin from one of Bordeaux’s most revered limestone terraces. Presented in the coveted 1.5L format, this vintage combines vertical power, crystalline purity and a seamless sense of balance that promises decades of graceful development. As one of the rarest and most sought‑after Right Bank wines, this magnum is as much a collector’s piece as it is an unforgettable drinking experience. Named after the Roman poet and statesman Ausonius, Château Ausone stands on a site cultivated since antiquity, with vines tended here continuously through the Middle Ages and into the modern era. Today, its small, steep vineyards—planted chiefly to Cabernet Franc and Merlot—yield a wine that is celebrated for its finesse, longevity and unmistakable Saint‑Émilion character.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Château Ausone shows a deeply saturated ruby‑purple core, almost opaque, with a narrow, vibrant rim that hints at its youth and concentration. The nose is incredibly expressive yet composed: layers of black cherries, ripe plum and cassis are interwoven with violet, graphite, crushed stone, and subtle notes of licorice, sweet tobacco and fine cedar from its élevage in new French oak. With air, more floral and mineral nuances emerge, underscoring the wine’s limestone origins. On the palate, this is both stately and vertical, with a brilliant spine of fresh acidity driving through beautifully polished but intense tannins. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry and dark plum are lifted by hints of blue fruit, wild herbs, cocoa nib, and a saline, chalk‑dust minerality that lingers long after each sip. The texture is at once firm and velvety, giving the wine a sense of precision rather than sheer weight. The balance between fruit, acid, tannin and oak is remarkably harmonious even at this early stage. In magnum, the 2019 has outstanding aging potential: it will reward at least 20–30+ years of careful cellaring, gradually gaining more truffle, cigar box and forest floor complexity over time.

Production
Château Ausone’s vineyards lie on the fabled limestone plateau and steep, south‑facing slopes of Saint‑Émilion, a terroir famed for producing wines of great finesse, aromatic intensity and longevity. The thin topsoil over pure limestone and clay forces the vines to root deeply, giving naturally low yields and a distinctive, chalk‑inflected minerality in the finished wine. The estate is relatively small, planted primarily to Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with a notably high proportion of Cabernet Franc for the appellation, which is key to Ausone’s aromatic lift and structure. All grapes are meticulously hand‑harvested in small crates at optimal ripeness, parcel by parcel, to preserve fruit integrity. Vinification combines traditional savoir‑faire with modern precision: fermentation takes place in temperature‑controlled vats, with gentle extraction to avoid excessive hardness. The Grand Vin is then aged, typically for around 18–20 months, in 100% new French oak barrels, where it gains additional structure, complexity and textural refinement before being bottled in very limited quantities, including these rare magnums.

Food & Serving
The 2019 Château Ausone Magnum is a superb partner for refined dishes built around high‑quality ingredients. Think roast or grilled lamb with herbs, dry‑aged ribeye, venison or other game, braised beef cheeks, or pigeon and duck with rich jus. It also shines alongside truffle‑inflected cuisine, wild mushroom dishes, earthy lentil preparations, and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Parmigiano‑Reggiano. Serve at 16–18°C (about 60–64°F) to allow the aromatics and texture to fully express themselves. In its youth, decanting for 3–4 hours is strongly recommended—especially from magnum—to help the wine unfurl and soften its tannins; as it matures, a shorter, gentle decant to remove any sediment will suffice.

Producer
Château Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most storied and exclusive estates, classified at the very top level as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A in Saint‑Émilion. Its history stretches back to Roman times, when the property was associated with the poet and statesman Ausonius, and vines have been cultivated on this privileged limestone slope for centuries. Through the Middle Ages and beyond, the estate’s reputation grew as viticulture in the region advanced, helping establish Bordeaux as a benchmark for fine wine worldwide. In the modern era, Château Ausone has become synonymous with low‑yield, meticulously farmed vineyards and a philosophy centered on precision, terroir expression and longevity. With a tiny production and a Grand Vin considered among the most exceptional and rare wines of Bordeaux, Ausone occupies a singular place in the Right Bank elite, admired by collectors and connoisseurs for its combination of power, perfume and ageless grace.

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