- Colour Red
- Producer Château Ausone
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2023 - 2037
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available Now
2018 - Chapelle d'Ausone Grand Cru St Emilion - 6x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Château Ausone
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2023 - 2037
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available Now
Select pricing type
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.
-
Goedhuis, April 2019, Score: 93-95
This high class second wine shows the exceptional quality of the Grand Vin and the overall success of all the wines in the Vauthier stable. A 50:50 blend of Merlot and Cabernets, this is a deep dense dark cherry colour. Very pure fruit aromas of damsons and sloe. The palate is bright and fresh with a hint of crunchy fruit. This has great purity and poise, with no excess of weight.
-
Antonio Galloni, April 2019, Score: 91-94
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is a drop-dead gorgeous second wine. Wonderfully finessed in every way, the 2018 conveys intensity allied to a sense of weightless elegance. Freshly cut flowers, spice and blood orange add freshness, but more than anything else, the Chapelle is a Saint-Émilion that speaks to regal elegance. It is also one of the best wines in its peer group.
-
Wine Advocate, April 2019, Score: 93-95
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is made of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was harvested on September 25 and 27, the Cabernet Franc on October 3, 8 and 9, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on October 9. Deep purple-black in color, it is a little reticent to begin, unfurling slowly to reveal notes of Black Forest cake, mincemeat pie, candied violets and Chinese five spice plus waves of charcuterie, black olives, mossy bark and cast iron pan. Full-bodied with a fantastic line of freshness lifting the dense layers, it has a very plush, silt-like texture and a very long, mineral-laced finish.
-
James Suckling, April 2019, Score: 94-95
This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It’s full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.
-
Decanter, April 2019, Score: 93
This is a pretty serious Chapelle - you can tell it's going to age well with its sense of purpose and power, yet it demonstrates notable restraint. It has the most incredible aromatics, with beautiful depth and power, and a silky texture with clear Cabernet influence to the savoury black cherry and liquorice. There's no hiding how ripe those tannins are. 37hl/ha yields, relatively normal for Ausone despite mildew pressure that was the worst Alain Vauthier had seen in 45 years. Drinking Window 2024 - 2036
-
Matthew Jukes, April 2019, Score: 17.5++
One of the grandest second wines of the vintage, this is built for the long haul and it is majestic and very long. The oak is massive, but the fruit can cope with this impact and the finish is heroic, too. Closed and unyielding on the palate, this is a wine for long term ageing.
-
Julia Harding, April 2019, Score: 16.5+
Black core, purple rim. Intense, dark fruited and expressive on the nose. There's the lovely pencil-shavings character of Cabernet Franc and the generosity of Merlot. Very ripe cassis but not overripe. Deep and full in the mouth, slightly sweet and sour at the moment, needing time to mesh. Juicy freshness on the finish and smooth, deep tannin texture. Chewy and juicy on the finish. Drink 2024-2030
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.
