Wine Advisor
Ausone 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A very deep purple colour. The nose needs some coaxing. It is more delicate than usual, not as precocious than the 2003. The palate is more about poise than power - very fine acidity. Robust tannins, more masculine than in previous years. Huge grip though, its concentration creeps up on you and makes its presence felt on the persistent finish. Very broody at the moment. Perhaps missing that profundity of the 2000 or 2003, yet it has that brilliant poise that makes Ausone so special. A return to the more classic style definitely. It may need time to come around though, perhaps 5 to 6 years. Tasted April 2005.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An extraordinary effort, and a candidate for wine of the vintage, the 2004 Ausone boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a prodigious nose of crushed rocks, white flowers, sweet truffles, black raspberries, cherries, and graphite. Although possessing huge richness as well as medium to full body, it is incredibly light on its feet. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2065.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Made in a backward, excruciatingly tannic style, the inky/ruby/purple-colored 2004 Ausone reveals sweet floral notes intertwined with incense, black raspberries, cassis, and mineral characteristics. It is a rigid, medium-bodied, concentrated, exceptionally pure effort that should age at a glacial pace. Although it does not possess the remarkable concentration and palate presence of the last three or four vintages, it is a super effort from perfectionist proprietor Alain Vauthier. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2040.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the vintage’s most compelling wines (what’s new about that?), Alain Vauthier’s beloved 2004 Ausone has closed down considerably since I tasted it out of barrel, but it remains among the most concentrated wines of the vintage. Furthermore, along with Petrus, it will probably be the longest-lived. A dense purple color is accompanied by a celestial perfume of blue and black fruits, wet stones, flowers, and incense. On the palate, the wine exhibits exceptional power and concentration, but this historic terroir has also provided a surreal lightness to the wine’s impression. Beautiful flavors, sensational depth, and abundant structure suggest this 2004 will not be close to full maturity for 8-10 years. It should last for four decades.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good deep ruby. Currant, minerals and nutty oak on the nose. Lush, sweet and pliant on the attack, then more closed in the middle palate, with a chewy, rather serious texture and impressive density for the year. The black fruit flavors are complicated by minerals, dark chocolate and mocha. Finishes with a rather powerful tannic spine that will require a good decade of patience. I can envision the 2006 evolving in a similar direction.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(in the process of being fined) Good full ruby. Almost shockingly expressive nose offers blackberry, espresso, minerals and tar. Full, suave and sweet in the mouth, with great richness buffered by lovely inner-palate energy that gives cut to the dark berry and dark chocolate flavors. Finishes with remarkable length for the vintage, with the powerful tannic spine enrobed in dense, still-primary fruit. This, too, will be long-lived. An incredible performance for the year.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(a 53/47 blend of cabernet franc and merlot) Bright ruby. Pristine nose combines blackberry, espresso, dark chocolate and minerals. Superconcentrated, minerally and vibrant, with a flavor of crystallized blackberry. Powerfully structured wine, with a very firm spine of acids and tannins, but extremely primary today and not yet shapely in the middle palate. An infant.
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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