Château Ausone 1996

Complex aromas of blackberry, coffee, cedar and lightly grilled meat. Full-bodied and very structured, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Slightly hollow center palate.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.

Austere in nature, there is an herbal, leafy edge to the fresh, red fruits crushed stone and earthy character. There is concentration and an almost Medocian nature to the fruit and tannins. Time should help, but fully soften and flesh out the wine. Lovers of classic Bordeaux that miss this style will like this more than I did.

Fairly deep purple-ruby, almost no signs of ageing. Powerful, fleshy bouquet showing great depth, still a bit unruly, with a wild, truffly Cabernet touch. On the palate it’s fleshy and vigorous, showing plenty of astringency; creamy at the core with lots of power. Overall, despite the intensity, it remains refined and—unlike other wines from the Rive gauche—still holds a great deal of potential.

97: Barrel sample (18/20): Expansive, nutty bouquet with ripe fruit; multi-layered and pleasantly warm on the nose. On the palate extremely fine-boned, plenty of terroir spice, a velvety texture; very supportive on the finish, with concentrated aromas. This is a harvest that was, for the first time, fermented in the new 60 hl wooden cuviers, which explains the slightly dominant, woody structure; it will age for a long time, but requires a lot of patience. Shortly before bottling at the Château: gingerbread note, spicy with a deep Cabernet Franc accent, accompanied by nuances of Irish Moos and Amarena cherries. On the palate again spicy, with a rich, concentrated extract sweetness, lots of substance; in the finale the wine feels tightly knit and powerful in length thanks to the optimally supported oak. 99: Dense purple at the core, the rim lightening to violet. The nose is currently very closed; it shows a few spicy components, but remains completely inaccessible. On the palate, tannins are front and center, still firm, with strong astringency; plenty of Cabernet Franc tones mixed with a fine-sandy Merlot texture. Overall almost a bit hard and aloof. Only those who tasted it from barrel know that, with a lot of patience, a great Ausone will emerge here. (18/20). 06: Quite dark purple-ruby, almost no maturity notes. Powerful, meaty bouquet with great depth, still a bit unruly, with a wild, truffly Cabernet touch. On the palate meaty and powerful, showing lots of astringency; creamy at the core with plenty of force, yet overall fine despite the intensity. Unlike other right-bank wines, it still holds a lot of potential. 10: First signs of maturity in the color and also on the nose in the form of plum, subtle iodine-tobacco notes and a hint of suede. On the palate the wine feels younger than the bouquet would suggest. A meaty, relatively bourgeois Ausone. (18/20). 11: Medium-dark garnet, few maturity notes, still a ruby sheen. Wonderful bouquet, almost lightly buttery at first, then Redcurrant, rosehip jelly, red cassis, freshly cut raspberry canes, complemented by delicate noble-wood notes. Brilliant palate, complex and creamy despite still-present tannins; here again a fascinating sweetness in the extract and a still somewhat demanding astringency; lots of typical Ausone herbal notes (Ricola) in the long finish. Has gained a lot and convinces more and more—meaty with mid-level finesse. But that is not an Ausone issue; it’s a vintage-typicity issue on the right bank. (19/20). 12: Deep, dense purple-garnet, surprisingly saturated at the core. Very spicy bouquet, discreet green-spicy Cabernet Franc traces, clove heads, fresh bay leaf, pumpernickel bread, dried plum skin, dried leaves of dark roses, ribwort plantain lozenges—remarkably deep, but also a slightly cool opening. On the palate with concentrated extract that shows little charm due to the brawny tannins; it also comes across a bit bourgeois; ends with malt and cold tea and then—despite an overall softness—still shows enough reserves for at least another ten years. Perhaps somewhat overrated and therefore too highly extracted. If it comes around: 18/20. 16: Fill level: perfect. Very dense color, saturated core. On the nose still showing some remaining fruit in the form of wild berries, quite present. On the palate rather firm, with primary fruit aromatics and a pronounced extract. Not a charmer. An Ausone with a certain Médoc affinity—so more on the masculine side.

Sweet, fragrant, silky, fresh bouquet with blueberries, strawberries, mocha. Balanced, medium-bodied palate with fine fruit, finely sandy tannins, delicate, sweet aromatics, medium-length finish. 17/20 drink - 2025

Logo on the cork: The crown Dark color, with normal intensity and showing some evolution. Intense nose, fruity and smoky. Hints of leather and very ripe strawberry. Fairly fleshy on the attack, the wine then opens up with an airy, spicy profile, on a fine-grained framework, rather chalky, with a touch of oak on the finish. The tannic texture is a bit over-extracted, which is a shame.

I do not understand the critics of Alain Vautier, who now has sole control of Ausone and is taking the estate's quality to a higher level. Moreover, the wine is consistent, with great depth and richness on the mid-palate, without sacrificing Ausone's 40-50+ years of longevity. As I suspected, the 1996 is beginning to shut down. I left it in the glass for nearly 30 minutes and was impressed with the nuances that developed. The color is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness, and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspiring Ausones of the eighties and seventies. The wine is stylish, and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040.