Ausone 2020

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
6	75cl Bottle	Case 6	£2,800 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2020 Ausone is stellar. Usually a showier wine, Ausone is packed with bright acids, deep fruit and tons of supporting structure. Dark red fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, rose petal, mocha and dried herbs all race out of the glass. Deep and layered, with magnificent finesse, Ausone is lights out in 2020. What a wine. Readers lucky enough to own it are in for a thrilling ride over the next few decades. Score: 99 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2070 23 February 2023
The 2020 Ausone, which has slightly more Merlot than usual, was picked from September 14 to 29 and raised for 20 months entirely in new oak before bottling in mid-July, according to the lunar calendar. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry and boysenberry fruit, pain grillé and background scents of licorice. Very mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and a fine backbone, pure with impressive tension. Satin texture with a dash of cracked black pepper surface with time in the glass. Persistent in the mouth, perhaps without fully developing that knockout crescendo on the finish, though that might evolve with bottle age. Still, this is an outstanding Ausone. Score: 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2055 08 February 2023
The 2020 Ausone was picked at 37hl/ha (a little bit less than 2019 according to Pauline Vauthier) on 14 and 19 September for the Merlot, 23 and 29 September for the Cabernet Franc, matured in entirely new barriques with a light toasting. This 2020 has a tightly wound nose at first, needing more encouragement than other recent vintages. It then, almost reluctantly, reveals intense black cherry, blueberry and violet aromas. Maybe this is not as hedonistic as other years? The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Now the more opulent Ausone comes through, albeit succinctly controlled, with lightly spiced red fruit and a finely proportioned and quite persistent finish. Sophisticated and classy, this rather brilliant Ausone will mature with grace and style. Score: 97 - 99 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2065 01 May 2021
This is powerful and blows away much of the competition with its depth and layers. This needs you to pull up a chair, take a beat, and let the flavours unroll. There is so much density to the blueberry, bilberry and smoked raspberry fruits that they start out knitted down, then as the oxygen opens them up the body of the wine widens and becomes fleshier and creamier, adding chocolate and mocha notes. The limestone scrape is there in spades through the finish, and this is a cleverly constructed wine. As ever Ausone is just a masterclass in how to take apart and then put back together a terroir. Great stuff. First year of official conversion to organic farming. 100% new oak, some in 30hl oak casks. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. Score: 98 - 100 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028 - 2048 16 May 2021
50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. Cask sample. Deep and intense with mineral, dark fruit and chocolate notes. Initially broad across the palate then firm, long, fresh and structured. Plentiful tannins but very fine and enrobed in generous fruit. Powerful but elegant with loads packed into the wine. Striking potential. (JL) Score: 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com 07 May 2021

Tasting Notes

The 2020 Ausone is stellar. Usually a showier wine, Ausone is packed with bright acids, deep fruit and tons of supporting structure. Dark red fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, rose petal, mocha and dried herbs all race out of the glass. Deep and layered, with magnificent finesse, Ausone is lights out in 2020. What a wine. Readers lucky enough to own it are in for a thrilling ride over the next few decades.

Score: 99

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2070 23 February 2023

The 2020 Ausone, which has slightly more Merlot than usual, was picked from September 14 to 29 and raised for 20 months entirely in new oak before bottling in mid-July, according to the lunar calendar. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry and boysenberry fruit, pain grillé and background scents of licorice. Very mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and a fine backbone, pure with impressive tension. Satin texture with a dash of cracked black pepper surface with time in the glass. Persistent in the mouth, perhaps without fully developing that knockout crescendo on the finish, though that might evolve with bottle age. Still, this is an outstanding Ausone.

Score: 97

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2055 08 February 2023

The 2020 Ausone was picked at 37hl/ha (a little bit less than 2019 according to Pauline Vauthier) on 14 and 19 September for the Merlot, 23 and 29 September for the Cabernet Franc, matured in entirely new barriques with a light toasting. This 2020 has a tightly wound nose at first, needing more encouragement than other recent vintages. It then, almost reluctantly, reveals intense black cherry, blueberry and violet aromas. Maybe this is not as hedonistic as other years? The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Now the more opulent Ausone comes through, albeit succinctly controlled, with lightly spiced red fruit and a finely proportioned and quite persistent finish. Sophisticated and classy, this rather brilliant Ausone will mature with grace and style.

Score: 97 - 99

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2065 01 May 2021

This is powerful and blows away much of the competition with its depth and layers. This needs you to pull up a chair, take a beat, and let the flavours unroll. There is so much density to the blueberry, bilberry and smoked raspberry fruits that they start out knitted down, then as the oxygen opens them up the body of the wine widens and becomes fleshier and creamier, adding chocolate and mocha notes. The limestone scrape is there in spades through the finish, and this is a cleverly constructed wine. As ever Ausone is just a masterclass in how to take apart and then put back together a terroir. Great stuff. First year of official conversion to organic farming. 100% new oak, some in 30hl oak casks. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points.

Score: 98 - 100

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028 - 2048 16 May 2021

50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. Cask sample. Deep and intense with mineral, dark fruit and chocolate notes. Initially broad across the palate then firm, long, fresh and structured. Plentiful tannins but very fine and enrobed in generous fruit. Powerful but elegant with loads packed into the wine. Striking potential. (JL)

Score: 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com 07 May 2021

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