- Colour Red
- Producer Château Ausone
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2013 - 2040
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
2003 - Ch Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion - 12x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Château Ausone
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2013 - 2040
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
Select pricing type
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.
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Goedhuis, April 2004
Honours are evenly shared this year between Ausone and Cheval Blanc for the accolade of St Emilion wine of the vintage. With 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, raised 100% in new oak, this is a wine of class and sophistication that draws comparison from owner Alain Vauthier with the 1959. Very tightly knit, beautifully polished and svelte with deep reserves of hedgerow fruit, this is as harmonious a wine as we tasted. It is truly excellent.
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Robert Parker, August 2014, Score: 100
Amazing! The limestone soils of Ausone appear to have been the perfect foil for resisting the extreme heat and drought of June, July and August, 2003. This black/purple-colored effort boasts a glorious nose of violets, truffles, lead pencil shavings, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied with staggering concentration, a voluptuous texture, low acidity and well-integrated, melted tannins, this deep, multidimensional, profound Bordeaux is beginning to drink exceptionally well. It should continue to do so for another two decades or more.
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Robert Parker, April 2006, Score: 100
The 2003 Ausone is off the charts in terms of richness. While I gave a 3-digit score to the 2000, I think this profoundly concentrated wine may be even more sublime and exotic. Its inky/blue/purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of flowers, crushed rocks, sweet raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and God knows what else. The impression is one of extraordinary richness and purity, and a multilayered texture yet a surreal lightness as well as laser-like precision. This exquisite offering must be tasted to be believed. Incredibly young, it will undoubtedly close down over the next few years, re-emerging after 15-20 years. It should last for 70-100 years. It is a wine for anthology! No one in Bordeaux has made greater progress in taming the extraordinary potential of this noble terroir than Alain Vauthier, an obsessed perfectionist if there ever was one. He has instituted a Draconian selection at this tiny estate, both in the vineyard and the cellar, and the second wine, Chapelle d'Ausone, has also become one of the region's finest wines.Prospective purchasers should be aware that Ausone requires 10-20 years of cellaring before it approaches maturity. Drink: 2021-2105
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Robert Parker, April 2005, Score: 96-100
There are only 18,000 bottles of this wine, which certainly will be a candidate for perfection. The limestone soils supported the heat and drought of 2003 better than the gravelly, sandy oils of St.-Emilion. Ausone obviously benefited perfectly from the climate. In addition, the little bit of rain that fell at the end of August was the magic key that opened the door to what looks to be a modern-day legend. Black/purple to the rim with an extraordinary nose of graphite, incense, licorice, Asian spice, and copious quantities of black and red fruits and that almost liquid minerality, this astoundingly great wine is the essence of Ausone and the essence of what makes Bordeaux so special. Will it evolve for 50, 75, or perhaps 100 years? Who knows? It is a magnificently concentrated, seamless, harmonious, brilliant wine that even after tasting a quarter million and twenty-six years on the road, it still gave me chills. If you can find it, if you can afford it, and if you have good DNA for aging, buy it. Drink: 2020-2075.
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Robert Parker, April 2004, Score: 96-100
There are only 18,000 bottles of this wine, which certainly will be a candidate for perfection. The limestone soils supported the heat and drought of 2003 better than the gravelly, sandy oils of St.-Emilion. Ausone obviously benefited perfectly from the climate. In addition, the little bit of rain that fell at the end of August was the magic key that opened the door to what looks to be a modern-day legend. Black/purple to the rim with an extraordinary nose of graphite, incense, licorice, Asian spice, and copious quantities of black and red fruits and that almost liquid minerality, this astoundingly great wine is the essence of Ausone and the essence of what makes Bordeaux so special. Will it evolve for 50, 75, or perhaps 100 years? Who knows? It is a magnificently concentrated, seamless, harmonious, brilliant wine that even after tasting a quarter million and twenty-six years on the road, it still gave me chills. If you can find it, if you can afford it, and if you have good DNA for aging, buy it. Drink: 2020-2075.
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James Suckling, April 2004, Score: 95-100
Very inky color. Intense aromas of black licorice, currants, berries, minerals and citrus. Hints of smoky wood. Full-bodied and superconcentrated, with layers of ripe fruit and supervelvety tannins. Goes on and on. Very complex with amazing concentration. I am glad I was sitting down when I tasted this. Blockbuster. Massive. -- J.S.
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Decanter, April 2004
Another star in Alain Vauthier's firmament. Beautiful pitch of dark, ripe fruit on the nose with a touch of spice from the oak. Rich, velvety, layered texture underpinned by a bed of firm, ripe tannin. Long, fresh, minerally finish. Less suave than the 2000 or 2001 but more affirmed statement of terroir. Huge ageing potential. Drink: 2012-2030.
Producer
Château Ausone
Known the world over for its magnificent terroir, Château Ausone is located at the core of St. Emilion at the top of a south facing hillside. It is here where one can breathe in the spectacular views over the Dordogne Valley. Breathing in to prevent a heart attack may not be such a bad idea either as its steep, slippery and ancient cobbled one-lane road is absolutely frightening. But after reaching its heights, one is trans...Read more
Known the world over for its magnificent terroir, Château Ausone is located at the core of St. Emilion at the top of a south facing hillside. It is here where one can breathe in the spectacular views over the Dordogne Valley. Breathing in to prevent a heart attack may not be such a bad idea either as its steep, slippery and ancient cobbled one-lane road is absolutely frightening. But after reaching its heights, one is transported to calm serenity by its cathedral-like hushed presence and of course its profound and silky wines.Ausone takes its name from the Roman poet Ausonius who supposedly owned vineyards around St. Emilion many years ago, and although he has long departed another creator has taken his place. Since the mid 1990s, the meticulous and thorough Alain Vauthier has been in charge of this historic estate. No expense has been spared in helping him create the most alluring wines possible. Notably modern in style, they are rich and clean with nuances of fine new oak barrels and opulent fruit. Despite his success, the same problem remains - very little wine. Its vineyard area measures less than 1/5 the size of neighbouring Cheval Blanc.Read less
Region
St Emilion
South of Pomerol lies the medieval, perched village of St Emilion. Surrounding St Emilion are vines that produce round, rich and often hedonistic wines. Despite a myriad of soil types, two main ones dominate - the gravelly, limestone slopes that delve down to the valley from the plateau and the valley itself which is comprised of limestone, gravel, clay and sand. Despite St Emilion's popularity today, it was not until the 1980s to early 1990s that attention was brought to this region. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, began reviewing their Merlot-dominated wines and giving them hefty scores. The rest is history as they say. Similar to the Médoc, there is a classification system in place which dates from 1955 and outlines several levels of quality. These include its regional appellation of St Emilion, St Emilion Grand Cru, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé and St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into "A" (Ausone and Cheval Blanc) and "B" (including Angélus, Canon, Figeac and a handful of others). To ensure better accuracy, the classification is redone every 10 years enabling certain châteaux to be upgraded or downgraded depending on on the quality of their more recent vintages.
