The 2021 Ausone could turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. It shows terrific balance, with just enough mid-palate sweetness and texture to fill out the layers. To be sure the 2021 is an understated Ausone, but all the elements are so nicely balanced. Red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, spice and mocha are pushed forward. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, with the Merlot more in evidence today while the Franc is felt mostly in the wine's finish. Rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange add an exotic flourish. 04/2022

The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling 'drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. 04/2022

A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day! 04/2022

Couleur sombre, pourpre, profonde et belle. Nez intense, fin, fruité et pur. Il mélange les nuances florales avec celles des fruits mûrs noirs. Cette texture minutieuse ultra raffinée dès l'entrée en bouche, conduit tout le déroulé de la dégustation. Suave au milieu, noble et complexe, avec beaucoup de goût et une classe folle, ce vin s'achève délicieux et incrachable. Léger retour crayeux dans la persistance. Ensemble émouvant et très noble, d'une grande race. Une fois encore, Ausone est sur le toit du monde. Assemblage record de cabernet franc (65 %) associé à 35 % de merlot. Degré d'alcool : 12°8. Aucune chaptalisation. Saignée à 10 %. Vendanges : le 30 septembre pour le merlot, les 4, 5 et 6 octobre pour les cabernets francs. pH : 3,72 supérieur à la moyenne (3,55). Rendement : 35 hl/ha. Production : 18 000 bouteilles. 04/2022

Full-bodied, but so elegant and fresh, with a silky, elegant tannin texture. Very deep and expansive. Lots going on already with plenty of perfume. Blueberries, cloves, lavender and some wild-berry notes. Dark cocoa, too. Some espresso character at the end. Wonderful interplay of spices and fruit. Long. It keeps going. 05/2022