Wine Advisor
Ausone 2002
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A candidate for wine of the vintage, and clearly the finest 2002 from Bordeaux’s right bank (a vintage that favors the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines of the Medoc), the 2002 Ausone boasts an opaque blue/purple color as well as aromas reminiscent of liqueur of crushed rocks interwoven with raspberries, black currants, and licorice. It is extraordinarily pure, precise, medium to full-bodied, and while possessing huge levels of tannin, they are balanced by equally prodigious levels of concentrated fruit. Although aged in 100% new oak, the wood is not detectable given the amazing concentration and texture of this profound 2002. It is a tour de force in winemaking from one of the most meticulous and conscientious wine producers in Bordeaux. Perfectionist proprietor Alain Vauthier seemingly can do no wrong. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2060
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
An elegant feminine nose, less weight than the 2000 with notes of cassis and blueberry. It still exhibits that ethereal purity that makes the 2000 so extraordinary. The palate is very silky with refreshing acidity and superb definition. This is just so classy: only a little behind the 2000. One of the best wines of the vintage. Tasted October 2003.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr’s 2002 Bordeaux tasting. This is a beautiful wine. A bouquet surfeit with joie-de-vivre and elan, ripe black cherries, cassis and a touch of damson, but underneath all that precocious fruit is a real, tangible sense of minerality. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with vestiges of creamy oak still to be resolved, wonderful persistency on the licentious finish. Gorgeous! Tasted October 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In many respects, the 2002 may be even more impressive than the 2003. A far more challenging vintage to get everything right, and especially in St.-Emilion, where many disappointments have been produced, this is one of the wines of the vintage and (along with Pavie) among the finest wines from the Right Bank. It possesses a deep purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, blackberries, wet stones, and wonderfully perfumed floral notes. When the wine hits the palate, it exhibits impressive purity, medium to full body, a multi-layered texture, and extraordinary precision and intensity with a finish just short of 50 seconds. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2035.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Saturated ruby-red. Explosive aromas of blackberry, minerals, violet, espresso and bitter chocolate. Fine-grained and pliant but with terrific precision of flavor and grip. Finishes juicy and very long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent life and lift.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(tasted from barriques, following its fining) Full medium ruby. Complex aromas of blackberry, currant, graphite, mocha, espresso and chocolatey oak. Then tightly wound, brisk and penetrating, with juicy flavors of dark berries, black cherry and minerals. Less dense than the 2003, and also showing more of its oaky side today. But this is structured for two or three decades of aging. Vauthier, incidentally, believes that a light fining is the best way to make a clean, stable wine. The wine gains in finesse via collage, he feels, while losing very little of its volume. Still, this 2002 is a bit tricky to taste in its current stage of evolution.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright ruby-blue color. Pure, floral aromas of raw dark berries, bitter cherry, violet and minerals. Almost painfully intense in the mouth, with brisk acidity contributing to the impression of urgency and sappiness. Crystallized dark berry flavors are dense but youthfully closed today. A wine of great precision and aromatic freshness, finishing with substantial, fine tannins buffered by penetrating fruit.
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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