Château Ausone 2020

Ausone 2020 is a benchmark Saint-Émilion grand vin, capturing the depth and elegance that have made this tiny estate one of Bordeaux’s most coveted names. Crafted from equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it’s a wine of precision, intensity and remarkable finesse, built for long-term aging. As one of the historic greats of the Right Bank, Ausone’s 2020 reflects both a great vintage and the enduring class of its limestone-dominated terroir.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Ausone 2020 is deeply colored, with an opaque, dark ruby to purple core that hints at its concentration and youth. The nose is complex and slowly unfurls with aromas of blackberries, dark cherries and blackcurrants, layered with notes of incense, crushed violets, exotic spice, graphite and raw cocoa, all wrapped in a refined veil of high-quality new oak. On the palate, this is medium to full-bodied, precise and impeccably layered, with a pure, sweet core of dark fruit supported by finely sculpted, generous tannins. The texture is silky yet firm, showing real structure beneath the gloss, and the acidity is fresh and integrated, keeping the wine vibrant and long. Flavors of ripe black fruit, cacao nibs, baking spices and a subtle vanillin note carry through to a long, persistent finish. Still tightly wound in its youth and less immediately plush than the 2019, it will reward patience. Expect a long drinking window, with the wine entering a beautiful phase after 8–10 years and continuing to evolve gracefully for several decades.

Production
Ausone is rooted on the steep limestone and clay-limestone slopes of Saint-Émilion, a privileged terroir that delivers both minerality and natural freshness even in warmer vintages like 2020. The vines, many of them old, are planted at high density and meticulously tended, with careful, selective harvesting carried out by hand in small lots to ensure only perfectly ripe grapes are brought to the cellar. The blend is traditionally dominated by Cabernet Franc alongside Merlot, and the fruit is vinified parcel by parcel in temperature-controlled vats to preserve purity and detail. Aging takes place in a high proportion of new French oak barrels, where the wine matures on its fine lees, allowing the tannins to refine, the texture to become more polished, and the complex aromatics of fruit, spice and earth to harmonize over time.

Food & Serving
Ausone 2020 is a natural partner for refined, richly flavored dishes: think roast lamb with herbs, dry-aged ribeye, veal with truffle jus, pigeon or duck, as well as game birds and dishes with morels or other earthy mushrooms. It also shines alongside well-aged hard cheeses, such as Comté or old Gouda. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) in large Bordeaux glasses to let the wine open up. In its youth, decanting for 2–3 hours is strongly recommended to soften the tannins and allow the aromatics to fully express; as it matures, a shorter, gentle decant mainly to remove any sediment will be sufficient.

Producer
Château Ausone is one of the true legends of Saint-Émilion, historically classified at the very top tier of the appellation and long regarded as one of Bordeaux’s most singular and collectible wines. Named in reference to the Roman poet Ausonius, the estate occupies a small, dramatic amphitheater of limestone terraces overlooking the village, giving it a distinctive expression compared to its neighbors. With extremely limited vineyard holdings and an unwavering focus on quality, Ausone produces only a small quantity of grand vin each year, making it highly sought after by collectors worldwide. Its mastery of Cabernet Franc on limestone and its consistent track record across vintages have cemented its reputation as one of the finest and most ageworthy wines of the Right Bank.

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