Château Ausone 2014

Promising aromatics, superb structure, lovely tannin profile, less imposing and massive than recent vintages, yet with beguiling freshness.

The 2014 Ausone, a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, was matured in barrel for 20 months with 85% new oak. Compared to the Chapelle d'Ausone, this Grand Vin demanded gentle coaxing from the glass. It eventually unfurls to reveal mineral-rich red berry fruit, oregano, orange blossom and later on blackcurrant winegums. It displays superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin. There is an almost sorbet-like freshness conferred upon this Saint Emilion by the growing season, very harmonious and poised with one of the most precise and tensile finishes that you will find this vintage. One of the stars of the vintage, this may merit a higher score with bottle age. This is a great success.

Minty and savoury beefy notes, almost animal, with plums, blueberries, crayon and pencil lead. Shiny and sleek, juicy and clean. Lightly presented, with lovely initial flavours and texture; streamlined, not at all plush—this is straight, with delicate floral and red-berry aspects that don’t deepen but also don’t drop from start to finish. Feels like a nice take on the vintage. Lively, tangy, with clear minerality and clear length. Has that timeless Lafite-like charm to it.

Beautiful nose of red fruit with a delicate minty note that only makes it come across as brighter and more enticing. An extremely elegant and concentrated, mid-weight St.-Emilion with a really impressive tannin structure that gives it lots of drive at the very long and refreshing finish. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

Showing an espresso, earthy minerals, flowers and dark fruit nose, this wine has lush, sensuous tannins and there is a serious sense of purity to the fruit. The long finish is silky, giving you a posh texture in the mouth and finishing with a suave, black cherry and licorice note. Using 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.5 and represents 67% of the crop. The yields were only 27 hectoliters per hectare. 96-97 pts

Medium-bodied ruby, slightly paler at the rim. Floral, sensual nose, moving. Lots of suppleness. Blueberries, great drinkability, lovely extract sweetness, sublime, feminine palate, almost weightless, pure finesse. Mint, floral again, elegant, long, subtle, great tension, nuanced, a great piece of finesse! Wow! 19.5/20

60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. 27 hl/ha. Production: 14,000 bottles. Delivering an absolutely dreamy bouquet—not immediately forthcoming, but hesitant, gradually engaging in conversation with the wine. The floral-spicy Cabernet note mingles with a Merlot character that is not overly ripe, dark roses, fine woods, and nuances of Darjeeling tea. Only on the second approach do the delicate, multifaceted Ausone herbal notes emerge. On the palate, draped in velvet and silk, the charm of the tannins is almost erotic. The aromatics are clearer here, and all the fruit components show noticeably more sweetness and fullness. An Ausone with an extraordinarily feminine class. It seeks to approach its own 2005. And even if it may never fully reach that level, the mere comparable closeness to that legendary vintage is enough to label this Ausone as something truly special. It completely convinced me, and there are only two other wines in Saint‑Emilion at the same points level this year. By that I mean Canon La Gaffelière and Péby Faugères. But they are of a different style. I held Ausone 2014 in my mouth for about two minutes, and when I spat it out, an admittedly tannic yet very, very pleasant feeling remained on the palate. If I had to make an absolute ranking, this would be the best wine in the Libournais.

Fragrant, fresh, finely floral, complex, sweet bouquet, raspberries, vanilla, mint, fine herbs, nougat. Balanced, elegant, multi-layered, delicate palate with powerful, fine, sweet fruit, diverse aromas, elegant, silky structure, very long, fragrant finish. 19/20 2023 - 2045

A poised, controlled and slow-revealing Ausone; as ever at the 10-year mark you feel it is just starting to get revved up. The layers of subtle complexity are stunning: peony, rosebud, raspberry, crème caramel, salted cracker; so delicate and yet relentless, with a fresh-petal fragrance that is hard to capture, keeping you engaged and reaching for another sip. The limestone soils come through with a mouthwatering lift on the finish. 85% new oak.

The 2014 Ausone is deep garnet-brick in color. A herbal waft of dried sage opens the nose, leading to a core of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and crushed rocks with a touch of charcoal. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers bright red berry preserves flavors with herbal accents and a fine-grained texture, finishing long and lifted. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

This 2014 (60% Cabernet) has a joyful, rustic side that suits its depth beautifully. It hasn’t closed down after bottling as much as is usual for Ausone; the wine breathes and radiates.

The wine unfolds a floral and mineral purity on the nose that feels otherworldly, as if discovering a secret garden where a hypnotic fountain flows. Sappy, delicate notes perfume the air. On the palate, the sumptuousness and fullness so characteristic of Ausone are allied here with incredibly fine, delicate flavors of fresh flowers, floral sap, and perfectly ripe fruit, finishing on a saline note. When you swallow, it’s as if a thread of magic warms your throat, illuminating the wine’s passage.

Garnet red with purplish hues. An intense, complex, dense bouquet. Beautiful aromatic intensity with notes of violets and cinnamon. I also detect aromas of raspberry, elderflower and plum. On the palate, the attack is generous yet elegant and fruity. The body is creamy, broad and endowed with very elegant, ultra-fine-grained tannins that emerge on the finish. The structure also unfolds with finesse, delivering both power and elegance. A great wine with a fruity, persistent finish.

Logo on the closure: A inside a circle (Amorim) A fairly understated bottle, slightly discreet on the nose, juicy, pleasant and flavorful on the palate, but it fades quickly mid-palate, even if it holds on the finish.

96–98. Barrel Sample. With 60% of Cabernet Franc in the blend, this wine benefits from one of the best years for this varietal. It has intense perfumes as well as immense concentration and structure. The tannins are fine, never too dry and held up by ample acidity. It will age well and long.