Saint Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend

The 2004 Ausone has a mature bouquet with brambly red fruit, marmalade, leather and touches of cooked meat. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a little dry and more savory than expected. I feel there is something a little passé about this Ausone, indicative of the time when wines were being pushed a little hard and frankly, I much prefer more recent vintages (including the 2023 tasted alongside). (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)

The 2014 Ausone has retained that purity, pastille-like red berry fruit on the nose, with touches of clove and bay leaf, perhaps almost Burgundian in terms of its allure. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, pliant tannins that manifest its velvety texture. This might be the most seductive of any 2014 Bordeaux, fanning out beautifully towards the almost citrus-fresh finish. Gorgeous. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2024)

Very pretty. Light and slightly dusty on the ends. A broad delicate plumpness. Some salinity and savory notes. Light and precise. Drink up!

Night one at Bern’s, from deep in their cellar. Decanted and poured. Deep ruby center, mostly translucent. Killer nose. Notes of currant, sweet plums, spice and earth. Rich and silky in the mouth. Its “youth” shows when compared to the glasses of 1929 and 1933 next to it. Maybe the best of the 3 tonight? Hard to say, but it’s nice to find old off vintages that show like this.

The 2019 Ausone has a perfumed nose with another Cabernet Franc-driven set of aromas, gravel and loam infusing the black fruit. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a beautifully sculpted wine with a killer line of acidity and immense precision on the finish. This just sashays along with style. Fabulous. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023)

The 2020 Ausone is stellar. Usually a showier wine, Ausone is packed with bright acids, deep fruit and tons of supporting structure. Dark red fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, rose petal, mocha and dried herbs all race out of the glass. Deep and layered, with magnificent finesse, Ausone is lights out in 2020. What a wine. Readers lucky enough to own it are in for a thrilling ride over the next few decades. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2023)

The 2008 Ausone has a dark hue with just slight aging on the rim. It has an introspective nose: black fruit, melted tar, cracked black pepper and a background of dried blood/meaty scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins; it's a little austere for Ausone and is strict and drier than more benevolent vintages. Saline towards the finish that exerts a gentle grip. I would afford this another couple of years in bottle. Tasted at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023)

Brett Michaels

The 2019 Ausone was picked September 20-27 for the Merlot and October 3, 5 and 7 for the Cabernet Franc, then matured for 20 months in new French oak with light toasting. This is very refined and focused on the nose, less opulent compared to recent vintages, and very sophisticated, with hints of Montecristo cigar interwoven through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine but quite firm tannins that frame the lightly spiced black fruit. Touches of pencil lead and white pepper appear toward the prolonged finish. This very composed Ausone might actually drink earlier than other vintages but unequivocally has the substance to age with grace in bottle. There is an abiding sense of completeness here. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)

The 2019 Ausone is a deep, statuesque Saint-Émilion that is at the beginning of what will surely be a very long, long life. Its vertical energy, stunning aromatics and persistence are all things of beauty, but it is the balance here that is so captivating. The acids and tannins are at once searing in their intensity and yet also totally woven into the wine's fabric. Ausone can be quite flattering in its youth. The 2019 is a wine that readers will have to wait for. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle for a decade or more. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2022)