1966 | Ch√¢teau Ausone | Saint-Emilion

Detailed Description

A beautiful blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc boasting a spiced, mocha nose, a generous palate with elegant smooth tannins and a long finish.

Producer Information

Ch√¢teau Ausone is a highly regarded wine estate in the Saint-√âmilion region of northeastern Bordeaux. It is one of the prestigious few Saint-√âmilion producers with Premier Grand Cru Class√© A status ‚Äì and one of only two estates (the other being Ch√¢teau Cheval Blanc) to hold this status since the inception of the classification in 1955. The wider estate is relatively small compared to other top rated Bordeaux ch√¢teaux, and its seven-hectare (17-acre) vineyard is planted almost entirely to Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon appears in its second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone. The estate is named for the Fourth Century Roman poet Decimius Magnus Ausonius, who owned extensive property in Bordeaux, including some vineyards. However, the modern ch√¢teau and estate, which sit on a highly coveted spot just south of Saint-√âmilion town on the edge of the Saint-√âmilion plateau, date back to the 18th Century. Ausone and its neighbor Ch√¢teau B√©lair-Monange were owned by the same family for most of the 20th Century and shared Ausone’s cellars. Despite its centuries-old history, Ausone has only been owned by three different families, though not always without contention: in the 1990s, a legal feud regarding inheritance plagued the estate. Ausone’s vineyard is on an elevated southeast-facing slope that is uncommonly steep for the region. Sheltered to the north and the west, the vineyard was spared from the devastating effects of the 1956 frosts that ruined vines and vintages in many other parts of Bordeaux. Since the 1990s, Ausone has consistently received high critical praise, peaking with 100 points from US wine critic Robert Parker for the 2000 vintage. A very limited production of fewer than 2000 cases annually makes Ch√¢teau Ausone one of the most expensive and sought-after Saint-√âmilion wines.