Château Ausone - The poetry of Saint-Émilion
Château Ausone is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most mysterious and sought-after wine estates in the world. Nestled in the limestone plains of Saint-Émilion, it produces wines of seismic depth, aristocratic elegance and almost mystical longevity. Its name says it all: according to legend, the villa of the Roman poet Ausonius once stood here, who sang the praises of the region's vineyards as early as the 4th century. Today, Ausone is recognised as one of the four Premiers Grands Crus Classés A of Saint-Émilion - a distinction it shares with Château Cheval Blanc and which makes it the undisputed top producer on the Right Bank of Bordeaux.
A wine estate with Roman roots
The origins of viticulture on this terroir actually date back to Roman times. However, the current domain was not created until the 18th century, when it belonged to the Cantenac family. In the 19th century, it was acquired by the famous wine merchant Jean Lafargue, under whose leadership Ausone first gained international recognition. Since 1974, the estate has been run by the Vauthier family, first under Alain Vauthier and now under his daughter Pauline, who continues the age-old tradition with modern precision.
The terroir - a limestone wonder
What makes Ausone so unique is its spectacular terroir. The seven hectares of vineyards are located right next to the medieval town of Saint-Émilion. Hidden beneath a thin layer of soil is solid Asteria limestone - the same rock from which the town's cave churches are hewn. This porous stone stores heat, drains water perfectly and forces the vines to root deeply. The result is grapes of concentrated minerality and unparalleled flavour density.
The distribution of grape varieties (50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot) is unusual for Saint-Émilion - the high proportion of Cabernet Franc gives the wines their unmistakable freshness and flavour. The vines are extremely old (some over 100 years), the yields are tiny (rarely more than 25 hl/ha).
Vinification - manual labour as a philosophy
At Ausone, every step is an art form. The grapes are harvested by hand in several stages and only perfectly ripe grapes are used. Fermentation takes place in small, temperature-controlled concrete and stainless steel tanks, and maceration can last up to four weeks. Ageing takes place for 18-24 months in 100% new French barriques - a practice that would lead to a lot of wood dominance in many wines, but in Ausone is in perfect symbiosis with the natural intensity of the fruit.
The wine - timelessness in the bottle
A young Ausone presents itself in an impenetrable purple colour with aromas of black cherries, violet pastille, liquid slate and an almost perfume-like note of iris and violets. Over the years, notes of truffle, cedar, tobacco and a mineral salinity that seems to come directly from the limestone develop.
In the mouth, Ausone is not a powerhouse, but a tightrope walker: despite its enormous concentration, it remains light as a feather, the tannins are silky even in its youth, the acidity vibrantly lively. Great vintages (1947, 1982, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2015) need 20-30 years to develop their full potential, but can easily last for half a century.
Rarity and cult status
With an annual production of only 15,000-20,000 bottles, Ausone is one of the rarest top wines in the world. The prices reflect this: young vintages start at several hundred euros, old bottles quickly reach five-figure sums. Since 2015, the second wine Chapelle d'Ausone has also been produced, which offers a more accessible introduction to the aesthetics of the estate.
The secret of eternity
What sets Château Ausone apart from other Grands Crus is its almost uncanny ability to outwit time. Even in difficult vintages, wines of disconcerting freshness are produced here - a phenomenon that winegrowers attribute to the cooling effect of the limestone and the natural acidity of the Cabernet Franc.
In a world in which more and more wines are being made to suit international tastes, Ausone remains an indomitable original: a wine that does not please, but enchants; that does not beguile, but disturbs; that does not want to be drunk, but deciphered. Anyone lucky enough to open a mature bottle suddenly realises why the Romans were already cultivating wine here 2000 years ago - sometimes perfection is simply timeless.
Here are some tasting notes of Chateau Ausone wines from the last century:
Chateau Ausone 1947
Ausone in a Vandermeulen bottling convinced in 1996 with fine blackcurrant, was altogether rather slim and seemed still young - 94/100, retasted in 1997 with a similar result (source: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Chateau Ausone 1952
The Ausone Vandermeulen should be given plenty of time and air. If you get a good bottle, you will get a powerful wine with a great finish. Unfortunately, there are also many mediocre bottles. I have consistently rated the better ones at 93-94/100 (source: wineterminator.com Dr Becker).
Chateau Ausone 1955
Ausone is also well worth a search. Unfortunately corked in 2006, would otherwise have been a wonderful, still very powerful wine in the 92+/100 class, fantastic nose when decanted! (Source: wineterminator.com Dr Becker).
Chateau Ausone 1959
I had actually already ticked off Ausone, because in 1989 it had presented itself in the Düsseldorf Caveau as an old dying wine with a brownish colour, medicinal nose, short and finished on the palate. But that was probably just a bad bottle, as you can always get with old wines. In 1999 on a Best Bottle at Schorn then a very convincing performance, a very interesting wine with a strong colour, more Rhone than Bordeaux, little fruit, but tobacco, tea, also some sweetness, will certainly make it in this form for a long time and is on my search list - 94/100 (source: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Chateau Ausone 1961
Robert Parker 88/100 (03-1997) A ripe, port-like nose of dried fruits, herbs, old tea, and minerals made for an intriguing set of aromatics. In the mouth, the wine reveals more sweetness and fat than one expects from Ausone, but an underlying pruny quality suggested the fruit was more than merely overripe. Hard tannin, acidity, and earthiness were noticeable in the background, but overall this was a good to excellent wine, with its positive attributes outweighing the more troublesome ones.
Chateau Ausone 1982
Parker N° 129 (26.06.2000) : 93 Maturity : 2005-2040 Medium ruby-coloured, with a pronounced smoky, herb-tinged bouquet revealing aromas of black tea, minerals, and sweet fruit, this medium-bodied 1982 exhibits a striking liquid minerality, decent acidity, and a powerful, concentrated, long finish. The 1982 Ausone is just turning the corner and beginning to reveal considerable complexity as well as finesse.
Chateau Ausone 1985
I always had problems with the much more expensive Ausone. My first bottle of this wine in 1988 in the Düsseldorf Caveau was just as ungenerous and nailed up as my last one, one of the tail-enders of a big '85 tasting in 1999. There is no hope there either, because the Ausone is also rather weak-chested. So avoid it (source: wineterminator.com Dr Becker).
1. key historical data
Foundation: Roman antiquity (name derived from the poet Ausonius)
Modern era: Owned by the Vauthier family since 1695 (for 7 generations)
Location: Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux (France)
Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" (highest level)
Vineyard area: 7 hectares (smallest Premier Cru Classé "A")
2. terroir & geology - Unique limestone plateaus
✅ So il:
Pure Asteria limestone ("Pierres de Ausone")
Steep slopes with south-east exposure
✅ Grape varieties:
Merlot (55%)
Cabernet Franc (45%) (unusually high for Saint-Émilion)
✅ Average age of the vines: 50 years (oldest: 100+ years)
3. the wines at a glance
| The wine | Characteristic | Price (€/bottle) | Top vintages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Château Ausone | Mineral, elegant, long-lasting | 600-15.000+ | 1947, 1959, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 |
| Chapelle d'Ausone (Second Wine) | More accessible, fruit-driven | 150-400 | 2012, 2014, 2018 |
4. production secrets
Manual labour:
Manual harvest in 4-5 passes
Optical selection
✅ Vinification:
Whole cluster fermentation (with 30% stems)
Ageing: 20-24 months in 100% new oak barrels
✅ Ecology:
Biodynamic cultivation since 2005 (Demeter-certified)
Horse labour
5th Legendary vintages & auction records
1947: "Wine of the Century" (€10,000+)
1959: 100 Parker points (€8,000)
2000: Perfect balance (€3,000+)
2005: 100 Parker points (€3,000+)
6. sensory profile (Ausone 2009)
Colour: Deep garnet with violet rim
Nose: Violets, black cherries, graphite, truffle
Palate: Silky tannins, salty minerality, endless length
Ageing potential: 50-100 years
7. economic importance
Production: ~20,000 bottles of Grand Vin/year (extremely rare!)
Market value: Highest €/hectare price in Bordeaux
Auction record: Ausone 1864 (€68,000 at Sotheby's)
8th Ausone vs. Cheval Blanc - Saint-Émilion comparison
| Criterion | Ausone | Cheval Blanc |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Mineral, linear | Opulent, complex |
| Terroir | Pure limestone | Gravel/clay/sand |
| Grape varieties | Merlot-dominated | Cabernet Franc-dominated |
| Rarity | Extreme (7 ha) | Larger production |
9. current developments (2024)
🔹 New parcel: "Plateau de Calcaire" (first harvest 2026)
🔹 Climate change strategy:
Later harvest for fresh acidity
More Cabernet Franc (higher heat resistance)
🔹 Digitalisation:
Blockchain labels against counterfeiting
Château Ausone is the intellectual wine of Saint-Émilion - purist, timeless and of mesmerising depth. Its extreme rarity makes it the most sought-after collector's item in the appellation.