Wine Advisor
Ausone 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Ausone vertical in London. Deep garnet core with a dark ruby rim. The ’01 has a very polished bouquet with notes of black cherries, blueberries, a touch of spice and noticeable warmth of alcohol. The palate is very sleek and sensuous on the entry, silky smooth although it discernibly lacks the weight and persistency of the ’05. Red cherries, hints of kirsch, spice, orange zest and a touch of piquancy towards the finish, this Ausone is still relatively unresolved. Two of three bottles have not quite lived up to my earlier expectations. Drink 2012-2030. Tasted December 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Very primal on the opulent nose with notes of strawberry and macerated red cherries cloaked in lots of vanillary new oak. Compared to its precocious showing in its youth, this Ausone is very closed down at the moment and should reawaken once it develops its secondary characteristics. Drink 2020-2040+Tasted March 2008
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A very pure Merlot nose with wild strawberry, macerated cherry and supremely well-integrated toasty new oak. Iodine developing. Medium-bodied palate, very good almost racy acidity with sharp red-berried fruit. Just a faint hint of boysenberry towards the very focused finish, that is not fanning out as it did at birth. Still quite tight, this needs long-term cellaring. Tasted October 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The inky purple-colored 2001 does not display the breadth of flavor or pure magic of the 2000, but it is already a candidate for the vintage's longest-lived wine. It possesses the tell-tale Ausone bouquet of liquified minerals, blackberries, black currants, and flowers. It is sweet, ripe, structured, tannic, and impressively endowed, with a finish that lasts over 30 seconds. Although the tannin is noticeable, so is the fruit purity, freshness, and delineation. Medium to full-bodied, this gorgeous Ausone is for connoisseurs only. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2001 does not display the breadth of flavor or pure magic of the 2000, but it is already a candidate for the vintage's longest lived wine. Its striking blue/purple color is accompanied by a classic bouquet of liquified minerals, blackberries, black currants, and flowers. It is sweet, ripe, structured, tannic, and impressively endowed, with a finish that lasts over 30 seconds. Although the tannin is noticeable, so is the fruit purity, freshness, and delineation. This gorgeous Ausone is for the patient only. It is a profound effort from perfectionist proprietor Alain Vauthier. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2001 Ausone has put on even more weight than I anticipated. The “wine of the vintage,” this inky/purple-colored 2001 boasts a provocative, floral perfume of crushed stones, raspberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and smoke. What makes it so sensational are the layers of flavor and nuances that unfold as the wine sits in the glass as well as on the palate. This is an extraordinarily intense effort, but remarkably elegant and well-balanced. It ideally needs another decade of cellaring; it should last for 4-5 decades! Alain Vauthier is a perfectionist, which is evidenced by what he has produced over the last half dozen vintages at Ausone. Kudos to readers lucky enough to find a bottle or two ... and live long enough to enjoy them in their prime. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050+.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium ruby. Tarry black fruits and minerals on the nose. Began extremely tight and austere, with penetrating black fruit and mineral flavors. With aeration, this showed more flesh and complexity, hinting at blackberry, graphite, espresso and sexy oak. For such a vibrant, juicy, minerally wine, the tannins are extremely fine. This may well merit an even higher score 12 to 15 years down the road.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Full, bright ruby. Knockout nose combines black cherry, pungent minerality and sexy oak tones. Fleshy and suave yet wonderfully fresh, with vibrant acids and firm minerality giving the fruit uncanny crispness. Impeccably balanced wine, finishing with a firm tannic spine and outstanding thrust.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good medium ruby. Aromas of framboise, violet pastille, minerals and licorice, with a note of cherries macerated in alcohol. Lush, smooth and bright, with superb intensity of fruit and brilliant focus. Strong minerality gives the flavors terrific thrust. This has stuffing and structure. Finishes very long, with firm tannins coating the entire mouth.
About the Producer
Located in the Saint-Emilion appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux, France, Chateau Ausone is one of only four Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates in the appellation and one of the eight most prestigious estates in Bordeaux. The 7.25 hectares of vineyards at Château d'Orson are oriented to the east or south-east, allowing the vineyards to enjoy the full sun and to be protected from the north-west winds. The vineyard's proximity to the Dordogne, which is regulated by the river, provides an ideal microclimate for the grapes to grow, and the fact that the vineyard was not seriously affected by the severe frosts of 1892 and 1956 is testament to the terroir. While Merlot is the dominant wine in the Saint-Emilion appellation, Cabernet Franc is the preferred wine at Château d'Ausone, with Cabernet Franc planted in the vineyard, supplemented by some Merlot and a very small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is used only for the secondary wines (Chapelle d'Ausone, Saint-Emilion). 'Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France). The average age of these vines is 52 years, with the oldest vines, planted in the early 20th century, being up to 100 years old and planted at a density of 6,500-12,000 vines per hectare. The soils are predominantly calcareous clay and limestone, which is the main reason for the minerality of the red wines of Château Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe, France. The organic and biodynamic approach to vineyard management and winemaking at Château Ausone is a commitment to producing wines that express the full character of the terroir. In the vineyards, the staff takes care of the vines, planting fruit trees and aromatic plants, allowing insects, birds and even bats to come and go, in order to release the vitality of the soil and promote the harmony of the entire vineyard ecosystem. During the harvest, the grapes are very carefully selected and only healthy grapes of optimum ripeness are used to make the wine. During the winemaking process, the treated grapes are first subjected to Cold Maceration to extract the pigments and flavours from the skins. Next, alcoholic fermentation takes place in large traditional oak barrels, followed by Malolactic Fermentation in small French oak barrels. After this, the estate's main wines are aged in 100% new oak barrels for up to 24 months, adjusted to the characteristics of the vintage. The wines are aged in the estate's natural limestone cellars, where the humidity and temperature are stable and provide excellent conditions for the wines to age. The wines of Château d'Orson have always been known as "the poet's wine", with a deep colour, very pure aromas of dark fruit, liquorice, flowers and crushed stone, full-bodied but not too heavy, and with great potential for ageing. Robert Parker once said: "If patience is not your virtue, there is no point in buying a bottle of Ouzo". The quality of Château Ouzon's wines has been consistent, with the best vintages including 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000 and 1998, to name but a few. In addition, the estate's secondary wine was born in 1995 from a selection of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the young vines of the estate. Thanks to the limestone soils of the estate, this wine is rich in mineral flavours, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and flowers, a full-bodied wine with velvety tannins and a long, impressive finish. With Robert Parker and James Suckling scores of over 90 points in almost all vintages, this wine has long ageing potential.
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