Château AUSONE 2018

Description

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 100 points www.erobertparker.com
The 2018 Ausone is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, rather predictably, the nose is almost completely shut-down on first sniff, taking considerable aeration to begin to reveal its jaw-dropping perfume of ripe black cherries, wild blueberries and plum preserves, leading to suggestions of candied violets, molten chocolate, licorice and crushed rocks with subtle cedar and pencil lead hints. The medium to full-bodied palate (14.5% alcohol) is so tightly wound and nuanced at this stage, it requires a lot of focus unravel all that is going on here. In short: a lot. The ripe, rich, black and blue fruit layers eventually give way to the beautifully cerebral earthy/minerally subtext, carried by fantastically well-knit tension, delivering an incredibly long, foundation-shaking finish. If the earth doesn’t move when you drink this, you’re probably not doing it right.

Jane Anson 100 points  www.decanter.com (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
This is deep and ripped, coming out you like a powerhouse, then it stops, tiptoes away, then rises up to slowly stretch out through the palate, displaying incredible tension and length. Graphite, flint, earth, crushed stone, blackberry, cassis and a juicy salinity from the scrape of limestone. Pretty clear this is going to power through the next 30-40 years effortlessly. And it just keeps going. Clearly survived the drought of the summer without so much as breaking a sweat. 3.6pH. Average age of the vines is 52 years old. A yield of 38hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028 – 2050

Jean-Marc Quarin 99 www.quarin.com
Couleur sombre, pourpre, intense et belle. Nez intense, fin, fruité, pur, mûr, avec une touche de truffe. Ultra minutieux dès son entrée en bouche, très fondant, juteux et noble au toucher, le vin évolue dense, puissant, tannique aussi, sur des saveurs de fruits bien mûrs. S’en suit une très longue finale complexe, au grain raffiné. C’est superbe ! Assemblage : 60 % cabernet franc, 40 % merlot. Degré d’alcool : 14°5 (moyenne plus) – pH : 3,6 (moyenne plus) – IPT : moyenne plus. Rendement : 35 hl/ha.

Yves Beck 99 points www.yvesbeck.wine  (Dégusté le 9 décembre 2020)
60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot
Vignoble de 7,25ha sur plateau calcaire à astéries et coteaux argilo-calcaire. Densité de plantation entre 6500 et 12600 pieds par hectare. Élevage de 20 mois en barriques. C’est avec beaucoup de finesse et de subtilité que le bouquet d’Ausone se révèle. Il affiche de nombreuses nuances sans qu’une soit plus marquée que les autres. Je distingue d’invitantes notes de violettes et de cassis ainsi qu’une touche crayeuse. Que d’élégance et de crémosité en attaque. Le vin est dense et doté de tannins subtilement suaves et soyeux avec néanmoins une finesse de grain qui lui confère du caractère et qui permet aux tannins de soutenir l’ensemble du palais en compagnie de la structure acide. Quelle précision, quelle finesse et quelle superbe notion de force tranquille. Très belle réussite. Je pense que la note maximale n’est qu’une question

Jeb Dunnuck 96-99 points www.jebdunnuck.com
Ratcheting up the intensity, the 2018 Château Ausone has an essence of limestone-like character as well as thrilling notes of blackberries, black raspberries, white flowers, truffle, forest floor, and graphite. Possessing full-bodied richness, a deep, beautifully concentrated mid-palate, ample tannins, and a great finish, this is a powerful, layered Ausone that’s going to need 5-7 years of bottle age but should knock your socks off over the following 25+ years. The 2018 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels.

Antonio Galloni 97-100 points www.vinous.com
The 2018 Ausone is off the charts. Deep, sensual and mysterious, the 2018 is going to need many years to show the full breadth of its potential. And yet, there is so much there. Rich and concentrated on the palate, with phenomenal persistence, the 2018 is loaded with energy, tension and precision, offering a compelling interplay of opulence, saline intensity and structure. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage.