critic reviews
The grand vin is 50% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and the élevage was in 100% new French oak barrels for 20 months. Dark and a little brooding on the nose, this starts off with a little matchsticky reduction beneath which the fruit is currently hiding. With a little time it begins to emerge, led by confit red cherry and crushed summer fruits, then rose petals, verbena and mint all eventually coming to the fore. The palate is a delight, charming and fresh, with a supple upper layer of juicy cherry and currant fruits, garlanded with rose petals, verbena, acacia and mint, which rests over a tightly knit base of tannins which persist beneath the fruit and runs into the finish, gently coating rather than dominating the palate. This is a stunning Ausone, with such purity and finesse, such completeness of tannic structure and floral fruit, so integrated and yet clearly brimming with potential, its future seems destined to be magnificent. The alcohol is declared on the label to be a striking 15%, of which there is no real suggestion on the palate at all, but if that bothers you, now you know. A remarkable wine.
Hands down one of the wines of the vintage, shows power and depth coupled at every point with lift and grip, stretches out through the palate, slowly but surely delivering a tickle of spiced sage and saffron, with sappy blackcurrant and graphite. 100% new oak, harvest september 5 to 27, organic conversion, 54 years average vines, Vauthier family shows once again how well they judge construction and architecture. First year not officially a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, but they have kept the ranking off the label for a number of years, so no change on that level.
The 2022 Ausone, which was the earliest-picked ever on September 5 (although that is later than Cheval Blanc) has another very intense bouquet with layers of plush blackberry, blueberry, crushed violet and incense aromas that are beautifully entwined with the 100% new oak. Hints of blood orange emerge with a few minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins and perfectly pitched acidity. The slightly higher proportion of Cabernet Franc imparts a touch more pepperiness toward the finish. You can feel this on your tongue long after it has departed. There is a surfeit of freshness on the finish. This is an outstanding Ausone that can look forward to a very long future.
A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.