Château Ausone winery
"The smallest and most exclusive first growth in Bordeaux."
Pauline Vauthier
When it comes to wine estates that are something special, even unique in their entirety, then Ausone, the 1er Grand Cru Classé A wine estate from Saint-Emilion, is undoubtedly one of them with its exceptional wines.
The name of the winery already gives it away: It must have something to do with Decimus Magnus Ausonius, the politician, poet and vineyard owner born in Bordeaux in 310, who was elected the first consul in Rome in 379. At the foot of the Château's vineyards, which cover just seven hectares, there is a Roman villa that is similar in size and style to the villa that Ausonius must have owned.
The location of the vineyard is fantastic. The historic vineyard, which includes Roman excavations, a medieval tomb and a 13th century rotunda with motifs of the Last Judgement, is situated above Saint-Emilion and exudes a unique dignity. The rock from which and on which it is built is called Roc Blancan, white rock, which refers to its high limestone content. Not only has it been used for thousands of years as a building material for today's UNESCO World Heritage Site Saint-Émilion, it has also been home to vines since that time. The tunnels, which were built under the vineyard between the 13th and 19th centuries to extract the rock, are up to 25 metres deep. Today, only one is still accessible, which serves as a barrel store for the château.
Pauline Vauthier is the twelfth generation of the Vauthier family to run the estate. In fact, Ausone has only had three different owner families in the five centuries of its existence. So much continuity is also exceptional. Pauline and her father Alan run the winery together with a cellar master and a vineyard manager. There are no external consultants here, as can be found on many wine estates in Bordeaux.
The vineyards are planted with 55% Cabernet Franc (which is steadily increasing), 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Vedot. Since Pauline Vauthier took over the viticulture, the vineyards have been cultivated organically (not yet certified). Although 80 to 100% of the "Grand Cru Classé" is bottled in new barriques, the "Grand Vin" is extremely delicate and vibrantly fresh right from the start thanks to the high limestone content in the soil. In general, the wines are characterised by a sensational balance across all vintage differences.
© Photos: Château Ausone
