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2012 Château Ausone, St Emilion, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Merlot
Ready - youthful
Neal Martin MW
96/100
Julia Harding MW
17.5/20
18.25/20
James Molesworth
92-95/100
Robert Parker
95-97/100
Product: 20128008785
2012 Château Ausone, St Emilion, Bordeaux

Description

With 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, this is a rigorous wine, precise, compelling and striking.  As with Chapelle d’Ausone, the quality and ripeness of the Cabernet Franc was complete, but the late summer rains compromised the concentration expected of a great year. It is the politesse, however, which marks this wine out. A remarkable seam of freshness invigorates the wine, more so than in 2011 and one is left with a sensation of an almost Thatcher-esque dressing-down; perhaps uncomfortable in parts, but also poised, composed and certainly thorough and, depending on your expectations, almost certainly good for you in the long run. There is no immediate gratification here, but a class act for the medium to long term.
Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Buying Director
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2012
Maturity Ready - youthful
Grape List Merlot
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château Ausone

Critics reviews

Neal Martin MW 96/100
Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scentsvery floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier. Tasted January 2016.Neil Martin - 28/10/2016
Neal Martin MW, (Oct 2016)
Julia Harding MW 17.5/20
Rich dark purple and inky. Touch of oak but not overworked. A touch reduced so has a smoky edge. Supple on the mid palate. Elegant and still richly fruity and a light Cabernet Franc leafiness in the empty glass. Great length. No excess of extraction or oak. julia_harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 26 Apr 2013
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2013)
18.25/20
Less powerful than recent vintages. Emphasis on fruit and finesse. Medium-bodied weight. Round and smooth on the palate. Very fresh. Saline note on the finish.
Decanter.com
James Molesworth 92-95/100
Delivers a muscular core of plum and raspberry fruit, along with dark currant, black licorice and roasted apple wood flavors, which give a depth and power that belies the vintage's general character. A persistent, muscular edge on the finish is offset nicely by well-buried acidity. This is clearly a step ahead of the 2011. Tasted non-blind. james_molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com (Apr 2013)
Robert Parker 95-97/100
The 2012 Ausone is another prodigious effort that should turn out to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage. It boasts a dense purple color along with abundant notes of mulberries, black currants, blueberries and a hint of raspberries interwoven with spring flower and crushed chalk-like characteristics presented in a full-bodied yet ethereal, stylish, racy, noble manner. This is a high class, aristocratic, nearly perfect wine to cellar for a decade and then watch it unfold over the following 40-50 years. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Apr 2013
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)

About this wine

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.
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Château Ausone

Château Ausone is a wine estate in St Emilion on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. It takes its name from the poet Ausonius, who is thought to have owned a villa where the estate stands today – just outside the medieval village of St Emilion. Ausone’s vineyards sit atop St Emilion’s limestone plateau and extend in terraces down the côtes. There are just over six hectares of vines planted today, mostly Cabernet Franc along with Merlot. The team practice organic and biodynamic viticulture though without certification.
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