2017 Chapelle d'Ausone
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Deep ruby. Leathery dried fruit on the nose. This is improved on the palate, which has a glob of ripe and full briary fruit. There is a firm, toasty edge of wood that precludes a powerful finish. This is very toasty and charred – it will need to shed some of this to find balance. (TP)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. A wine of real power, depth and substance, the Chappelle impresses for its fruit concentration and structure. Deep red cherry and plum, fruit, dried flowers, mint, blood orange and sage open up in the glass, with layers of bright, saline-infused aromatics from the 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. In 2017, the Chapelle is truly stellar. I loved it.
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.
The 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone has a lucid ruby hue. The nose is very succinct, nothing ostentatious, just tightly wound red and black fruit, beautifully integrated new oak (100%) with hints of crushed violet that become more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, well judged acidity, quite linear and focused. An almost pixelated finish possesses the texture and allure of a fine Vosne-Romanée. It lingers long in the mouth, occupying the liminal point between opulence and classicism. Superb.
About the producer
Ch. Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most respected estates. At this small property, perched atop a hill overlooking the town of Saint-Emilion, the Vauthier family produces some of the finest wines in the region.