Visits

Château Ausone
Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (France)


 

Ausone, one of the 2 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A of Saint-Émilion (with Cheval Blanc), has been family-owned for over 400 years.

The significance of visiting one of the truly mythical estates of the wine world was not lost on us. The privileged moment was enhanced by the company of Alain Vauthier and his daughter, Pauline, who took the time to share their views on the changing Bordeaux and world wine scene.

Despite the status of their estate and of their wine, the owners of Ausone show a clear intent on staying apprised of and of adapting to the latest developments in winemaking and communications on the international wine scene. This curiosity and openness are surely part of the reason for which Ausone will retain its status among new consumers.
 

Château Ausone, 2005
Awe-struck like children standing before Santa, we had a little difficulty focusing during our tasting... We can say with certainty, however, that it was already exceptional: A dark garnet colour, offering complexity, balance, and intense and lingering spicy aromas. Blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. (Mar 07)

Ownership & Management
Vauthier family (owners), Alain Vauthier (estate manager since 1995), Philippe Baillarguet (cellar master since 1997).

Winemaker, Consultant
Michel Rolland
 

Vineyard
7 ha of vines that are about 50 years old, composed of 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. The vines are planted on the Saint-Émilion plateau, composed of limestone and clay. The yields are about 25-30 hl/ha.

In Pauline Vauthier’s opinion, there is little mystery behind Ausone’s winemaking, which follows traditional methods. What matters is the estate’s exceptional terroir and the meticulous work carried out in the vineyards. The estate conducts green harvesting, and numerous careful and selective manual harvests and sorting in the vineyard. The harvested grapes are de-stemmed mechanically then again sorted manually.
 

Winemaking
The fermentation and aging are parcel-specific. The harvested grapes are crushed and transferred to wooden vats (54 hl capacity) by natural gravity flow where they rest for 5-6 days before the vats are warmed to allow the natural yeasts to start the alcoholic fermentation.

After about 4-5 weeks, the wine is transferred to new French oak barrels where the malolactic fermentation begins slowly. The estate warms the vat room (up to 20°C) as of December. As soon as malolactic fermentation is completed in a barrel, it is brought down to the estate’s 16th Century cellar (where the temperature is about 12°C). When the malolactic fermentation is completed in all barrels, they are brought back to the vat room (which is no longer heated and where the temperature now varies slightly between 10-15°C) for 2-3 months, until the warm weather returns.

The barrels are then brought back down to the cellar to continue the aging process, until bottling (which usually occurs 20-21 months after harvest). The cellar temperature varies only slightly and humidity is always close to saturation. These conditions ensure that the aging process occurs very softly, a condition that is well adapted to the structure of the tannins of the Cabernet Franc.

The wine is blended during the aging process, before the Primeurs season. The wine may be fined before bottling, when necessary.
 

Wines
. Château Ausone (15,000-18,000 bottles/year)
. La Chapelle d’Ausone (3,000-8,000 bottles/year, produced since 1995)