Château Ausone 2013 - 1. Cru Classé A - Saint Émilion (K)

93/100

Very perfumed and pretty on the nose with cherry, flowers and chalk. Medium to full body, very fine tannins and a crazy finish of fruit and sea salt. Lively and intense. Better in 2018. Only 9,000 cases made.

93-95/100

Probably the wine of the vintage, once again. Only 9,000 bottles of the 2013 Ausone were produced, as crop size was 50% of normal. However, proprietor Alain Vauthier and his daughter certainly have proven a truly great wine can be produced in some of the most trying conditions Bordeaux wine producers have had to deal with over the last 20 years. Yields were only 22 hectoliters per hectare and the final blend was 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. The haunting aromas of wet rocks, spring flowers, blue and black fruits and forest floor are followed by an incredibly dense, attractive wine with sweet tannin, stunning concentration and texture, medium body and a depth that is essentially unreal in a vintage such as this. The wine is a superb example of great winemaking under the most difficult circumstances. Unlike more recent Ausones, this should be reasonably drinkable in 5-6 years and yet be capable of lasting 25-30.

90-92/100

The 2013 Ausone is rich, deep and beautifully resonant on the palate. Dark red stone fruits, wild flowers, mint and cinnamon meld together in an expressive, layered wine loaded with personality and pure class. What a pretty wine this is. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Tasted twice.