| Region of Production: | Saint-Émilion AOP |
| Winery Location: | Saint-Émilion |
| Year Established: | 4th century (debated) |
| Classification: | Premier Grand Cru Classé A |
Vineyard Holdings
7 ha
- 55% Cabernet Franc
- 45% Merlot
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Ausone, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Grand vin. 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot (2015 vintage). Fermented in large oak vats. Aged two to three years in 100% new oak.
- Chapelle d’Ausone, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Second wine. Fruit harvested from younger vines. Inaugural vintage 1995
Average Total Production
- 22,000 bottles
Summary
The exact origins of Château Ausone are cause for debate. The estate takes its name from Decimus Magnus Ausonius, a poet who cultivated vines on one-tenth of his 1,000-acre property in the fourth century CE. Whether that included what is today Château Ausone is another question, but traces of ancient ruins can be found there. Despite its millennia of history, the property has only been owned by a handful of families since the 13th century, beginning with the Lescours family. The Chatonnet-Cantenat family has held ownership of Ausone since acquiring it in 1690. Now carrying the last name Vauthier, it is their descendants, Alain and his daughter Pauline, who maintain control of the estate.
While the wines of Ausone were highly regarded in the 1800s – admired for withstanding oidium, phylloxera, and mildew and rated the top Saint-Émilion estate in the Cocks & Féret guide by the end of that century – the estate is widely considered to have entered a period of decline by the mid-1900s, despite earning premier grand cru classé A classification in 1955. Alain Vauthier assumed winemaking duties in 1976 and has helped restore the winery’s reputation.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Ausone is the smallest of any Bordeaux premier cru but is heralded for its seven hectares deeply rooted in limestone, unique in Saint-Émilion and prized for the signature it imparts on the wines. Cabernet Franc thrives in these soils and is used at a high percentage in the wines of Ausone; Vauthier plans to increase its inclusion to roughly two-thirds. The grapes experience a cold maceration prior to fermentation in large oak vats. The wine is then transferred to 100% new barrels for malolactic fermentation and up to two years of aging before bottling. The wine is celebrated for its combination of purity and power.
Producer Website: Château Ausone