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Wine Description
The Story
Ausone owes its unique quality and longevity to a magic marriage of situation and soil. The steep slopes of the vineyard are arranged like an amphitheatre, facing southeast, which gives perfect exposure and maximum protection, and the soil is a mixture of clay and sand on limestone. When old vines and the ability to pick the entire vineyard quickly, due to the small size, are added to the recipe the result is something special. Ausone grows in bottle in a highly individual way, expanding and becoming more ample, although always retaining its scent and finesse.
Ausone has only 7.3 hectares of vines and its vineyards (Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 50%) flourish on a steep, south-east facing slope, protecting them from cold north winds and westerly rain. Those vines at the top of the slope thrive on limestone (the `St.Emilion plateau') whilst those further down benefit from a clay/loam topsoil (the 'Côtes').
Ausone struggled during the 1950s and 1960s, but with the hiring of new régisseur Pascal Delbeck in 1976, the estate returned to producing wines worthy of its outstanding historic reputation. Recently Ausone has been at the very peak of its form and with the ubiquitous Michel Rolland now acting as consultant, it is now producing ultra-rich, lush, exotically fruity wines that require a minimum 10 years of bottle ageing.
History Château Ausone is a very old property with medieval historical significance. In it's more recent history, the wines from the château suffered from lower quality and a lessened reputation in the middle of the 20th century. Ausone began to return to it's historical positon of greatness with the hiring of Pascal Delbeck in the 1970's. Delbeck was in charge of Ausone beginning with the 1976 vintage. As of 1995, he no longer played a role in the winemaking but remained in charge of the vineyards. The property had been owned for generations by a partnership of the Dubois-Challon family and the Vauthier family. In the mid 1990's, the Vauthier family gained sole ownership of Château Ausone. Alain Vauthier controls all aspects of the winemaking. He began using Michel Rolland as the consulting wine-maker beginning with the 1995 vintage
Vintage 2005
Bordeaux Vintage Report 2005 is a truly fantastic vintage with great quality across the board on both the Left and Right Banks.
The 2005 vintage became the most anticipated since 2000. The early market was heated and prices skyrocketed. The cold winter delayed bud break before the warm, dunny spring broke through. Even the vegetative growth and flowering gave a perfect start to the vintage. The summer turned out to be one of the driest ever, avoiding disaster, as the weather remained reasonably warm and not excessively hot like in 2003. The soil once again becomes a decisive quality factor. Gravelly areas, such as Graves, were hardest hit once again. In other words, you should expect quality wines.
For a short-term perspective, in the next two years, an excellent quantity of mature Bordeaux red wines will be available on the market. The 2004, 2002, 1999, 1994, 1992 and 1988 vintages offer a wide selection of wines that are pleasant to consume immediately or at most to store for a short period.
As investments, the best vintages of the last 35 years are 2018, 2016, 2010, 2009 ,2003, 1996, 1989, and 1982. The safest long-term investments are Latour, La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, Le Pin Lafite and Pétrus.
Over the past 35 years, Bordeaux has experienced a substantial change in winemaking. Modern equipment and developing know-how have guaranteed more uniform quality. It appears that the next challenge will be dealing with extreme climates, including slow global warming, which has already given hints of its effects also in Bordeaux. It is impossible to say how Bordeaux wines will evolve over the next 35 years. We can only hope that their most characteristic trait, the elegant aristocratic nature underlined by a unique terroir, will never disappear.
Bordeaux Vintage Report 2005 est un millésime vraiment fantastique avec une grande qualité à tous les niveaux sur la rive gauche et la rive droite.
Le millésime 2005 est devenu le plus attendu depuis 2000. Le marché des primeurs a été chauffé et les prix ont grimpé en flèche. L’hiver froid a retardé le débourrement avant que le printemps chaud et dunny ne se brise. Même la croissance végétative et la floraison ont donné un début parfait au millésime. L’été s’est avéré être l’un des plus secs de tous les temps, évitant la catastrophe, car le temps est resté raisonnablement chaud et non excessivement chaud comme en 2003. Le sol redevient un facteur de qualité décisif. Les zones graveleuses, telles que Graves, ont été les plus touchées une fois de plus. En d’autres termes, il faut s’attendre à des vins de qualité.
Pour une perspective à court terme, dans les deux prochaines années, une excellente quantité de vins rouges de Bordeaux mûrs sera disponible sur le marché. Les millésimes 2004, 2002, 1999, 1994, 1992 et 1988 offrent une large sélection de vins agréables à consommer immédiatement ou tout au plus à stocker pendant une courte période.
En tant qu’investissements, les meilleurs millésimes des 35 dernières années sont 2003, 1996, 1989, 1986 et 1982. Les investissements à long terme les plus sûrs sont Latour, La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, Le Pin et Pétrus.
Au cours des 35 dernières années, Bordeaux a connu un changement substantiel dans la vinification. Des équipements modernes et un savoir-faire en développement ont garanti une qualité plus uniforme. Il semble que le prochain défi sera de gérer les climats extrêmes, y compris le réchauffement climatique lent, qui a déjà donné des indices de ses effets également à Bordeaux. Il est impossible de dire comment les vins de Bordeaux vont évoluer dans les 35 prochaines années. Nous ne pouvons qu’espérer que leur trait le plus caractéristique, l’élégante nature aristocratique soulignée par un terroir unique, ne disparaîtra jamais.
