La Chapelle d'Ausone

The estate Château Ausone also offers a lovely overture, Chapelle d’Ausone. Crafted in the same conditions as its elder sibling, its slightest concern is that it is made with grapes from young vines that will later produce the First Wine. Beside the Cabernet Franc, the Merlot stands out more distinctly, enhancing the crisp fruit and mingling with the subtlest hints of Cabernet Sauvignon. As always, Ausone’s hallmark of taste, its omnipresent elegance, is passionately displayed.

2012

Wine Advocate 93: One can’t say enough about the amazing job that Alain Vauthier and his daughter have done at this historic property on the decomposed limestone slopes of St.-Emilion. About half of their production goes into the second wine, Chapelle D’Ausone, which gives you an indication of the compulsive perfectionist attitude of the Vauthiers. The 2012 Chapelle D’Ausone has a dense ruby/purple color and is rich, broad and expansive, with notes of plum, blueberry and black raspberry fruit, powdered chalk and flowers. The wine is medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and long and rich. This is better than many of the vintages of Ausone in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, which says a lot about what Vauthier has achieved. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.

James Suckling 95: This is really superb with a chalk, dark berry, raspberry and citrus character. Full body, firm tannins and all in fruit. Wow. Second wine of Ausone. Better in 2018.

Wine Enthusiast 93: The second wine of Château Ausone is impressive in its own right. It reflects the fruitier, Merlot side of the vineyard, with ripe black fruits coming through the tannins. The wood aging does show in a vanilla character that will disappear as it matures. It's ripe, full of juicy fruit and ready to age over the medium term. Drink from 2019.

2016

Wine Advocate 94+: A blend of 56% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Chapelle d'Ausone sings of black raspberries, kirsch and plum preserves with hints of unsmoked cigars, pencil lead, lavender and chocolate box plus a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied and fantastically elegant in the mouth, the elegant red and black fruit layers are beautifully framed by firm yet fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and minerally. 2020 - 2040

James Suckling 95: Some gently smoky nuances with dark stones and a spicy edge to the ripe blackberries and plums that adds plenty of aromatic interest. The palate delivers a very succulent, smoothly rounded and attractive array of rich fruit in a lively, refreshing and expressively vibrant mode. A blend of 56 per cent cabernet franc, 22 percent merlot and 22 per cent cabernet sauvignon. Second wine of Ausone. Try from 2023.

Decanter 93: Exceptionally high levels of Cabernet Franc in this wine in 2016, up to 56%, because the replanted plots are not quite ready for Ausone yet. But wow, this doesn't feel in any way like a compromise, a clear testament to the quality of the Cabernet Franc in this vintage. This is a second wine that laughs at the term - you would be thrilled to have this on your table and enjoy its distinctive deep, powerful and beautiful take on a St-Émilion limestone terroir. Floral, well-fleshed out raspberry and loganberry fruits. This is gorgeous and just keeps on delivering. 56% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot.

Wine Enthusiast 94: This dense bottling, the second wine of Château Ausone, is rich both in tannins and dark berry fruits. Produced from selected parcels and young vines, the wine has rich tannins that are already melding smoothly into the structure and fruit. Drink from 2024.

2017

Wine Advocate 92: Blended of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone sports a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal provocative notes of plum preserves, Black Forest cake and blueberry compote plus suggestions of roses, cloves, pencil shavings and cherry pie. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully zippy and elegantly fruited with a tantalizing frame of satiny tannins and a long, fragrant finish.

James Suckling 95: Crushed raspberries, flowers and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, very refined and creamy with intensity but no aggression. The length is so enticing and pretty. You can drink it now, but better in 2022.

Vinous 97: The 2017 Ausone is incredibly precise and sculpted, but also tightly wound in the early going - not that that will be a problem for readers who own it and will cellar it. Wild flowers, mint, blood orange and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that open up in the glass, but the 2017 is not in any mood to show all of its cards. Vertical, rich and explosive with tons of inner energy, the 2017 is a truly regal wine, but it also needs a number of years to be at its very finest. Here, too, the Franc (55% of the blend) really shines. This is a stellar showing from the Vauthier family.

2019

Wine Advocate 93: A blend of wine from young vines with a few barriques of declassified Ausone (though anything that doesn't make the grade is sold off in bulk), the 2019 Chapelle d'Ausone exhibits attractive aromas of cherries, sweet berry fruit, violets, spices, rose petals and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's elegant and refined, with a deep core of fruit and impeccable balance.

James Suckling 96: Such pure and beautiful aromas of blackberries and black cherries with violets and red roses. So aromatic and enticing. Full-bodied with extremely integrated tannins that are velvety and curated. Fresh and sweet fruit at the end with an orange-peel undertone. Crushed stone and sandalwood, too. This is a very beautiful second wine of Ausone. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot. Drink after 2025.

Vinous 92: The 2019 Chapelle d’Ausone, which represents around one-third of the production, has a very expressive bouquet of well-defined red berry fruit, cedar and touches of graphite. Undergrowth and hints of sage emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and very well balanced, the Cabernet Franc (40%) again lending a real Left Bank identity toward the finish. Very fine. Drink 2025-2045.

Wine Enthusiast 95: The second wine of Ausone comes from specific parcels of the vineyard. With 60% of Cabernet Franc in the blend with Merlot, the wine is structured and firm, perfumed and rich. It will age well, drink from 2026.

2020

Wine Advocate 92: The 2020 Chapelle d'Ausone contains more Cabernet Franc (60%) than the grand vin this year and 5% of Cabernet Sauvignon too. Revealing aromas of cherries, red berries, incense and cloves, it's medium to full-bodied, perfumed and precise, with a satiny attack and a saline finish.

Vinous 93: The 2020 Chapelle d'Ausone, raised entirely in new oak, is relatively backward on the nose, just like the 2018, and demands encouragement to eke out scents of blackberry, cedar, crushed limestone and a touch of pencil shaving. Very focused, though there is something bashful about the aromatics at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied and extremely pure, with pliant tannins and a silky smooth texture. Candied orange peel infuses the black fruit towards the mineral-driven finish. The more you remain in its presence, the more you feel the quality of this Deuxième Vin.

Decanter 94: This has a beautifully nuanced yet deep flavour, showing the tight pared-back salinity and juice of limestone alongside fleshy blackberry fruits. There are firm but flexible tannins, it has grip and tension and frankly all the things that you want from a Chapelle, giving a generous hint of what you can expect from Ausone itself. First year of official conversion to organic farming. 3.66pH. 100% new oak.

2021

Wine Advocate 91: The 2021 Chapelle d'Ausone wafts from the glass with notes of cherries, sweet berries and licorice framed by a creamy patina of new oak. Medium-bodied, pure and refined, with powdery tannins and a bright spine, it concludes with a mineral, vanillin-inflected finish. The blend contains no Merlot, as everything the vines produced went into the grand vin.

James Suckling 96: On the nose, this refined and silky wine shows violets, raspberries, blackcurrants and crushed stone. Medium-bodied, with cocoa and sandalwood. The center palate is deep and flavorful, solid fruit and a wonderful texture going long and horizontal. It makes you smile.

Vinous 92: The 2021 Chapelle d’Ausone is a wine of total precision and class. Bright acids drive through a core of sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, chalk and mint. This is a seductive, super-expressive Saint-Émilion. There are no hard edges or angular contours here. Readers will find a wine of pure sophistication. It should drink beautifully for the next 10-15 years, maybe more.

Decanter 92: A bit subdued on the nose, lightly scented with soft floral accents and some red and black berry fruit. Tangy and a little tart at first, bright and bold, sharp but sleek and straight. Loses some punch towards the middle and end, softening a little but keeping the direction. Lots of cherry notes and raspberry leaf with some menthol accents on the finish. Delicate and poised, juicy. Lightly framed but flavourful and feels finessed with some underlying power too. Definitely not a light wine but needs time.