Château Ausone, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2005

Name: Château Ausone, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion
Brand: Château Ausone
Price: 6142.33 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2003 2005 2009 2013 2020 2021

justerini & brooks tasting note

After an extraordinary predominance of Cabernet Franc in the 2004 (62%), Alain Vauthier has redressed the balance slightly in favour of Merlot for the 2005 vintage, using 45%. The wine shows a vibrant black/purple colour and the nose is rich and full of charm; violets and blueberry fruit give way to intense, pure fruit on the palate with herbs and spicy complexity; the tannins are extremely soft and silky the structure all there beneath, and the elegance of the finish is enduring. A wonderful, focused Ausone.

critic reviews

100/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

The 2005 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it needs a lot of swirling to coax out the most evocative perfume of Morello cherries, raspberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, and red roses with hints of aniseed, forest floor, truffles, and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a very firm, grainy texture and an incredibly lively backbone. So, so beautifully perfumed, it finishes incredibly long and mineral-laced. This undoubtedly already offers a WOW experience, but I would give it another 5-7 years in bottle to truly let that perfume emerge, then drink it over the following 40-50-years+. Located on the limestone plateau over the town of Saint Emilion, it covers only 17 acres and has been owned exclusively by the Vauthiers (Alain) since the mid-1990s. It is usually composed of 50-60% Cabernet Franc with Merlot making up the rest of the blend.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2077

date of review 07/2022

100/100Antonio Galloni,Vinous

The 2005 Ausone is magnificent. A wine of soaring intensity and class, the 2005 dazzles from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are captivating, with notes of cinnamon, mint, crushed rocks, blood orange, mocha and incense. Graceful and stately in bearing, the 2005 boasts tremendous purity and breathtaking balance. Readers will find a stunning Saint-Émilion that is just at the beginning of what promises to be a very long drinking window that will be measured in decades. It is a towering achievement from the Vauthier family.

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2055

date of review 04/2021

100/100Robert Parker,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2005 Ausone is a perfect wine of the vintage. It displays crushed rock, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning purity and richness, and perfect harmony among all of its component parts (acidity, tannin, wood, alcohol and extract). Still youthful, but oh, so promising, this wine should be set aside for another decade and drunk over the following 50-75 years.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2100

date of review 06/2015