2010 Ausone
By Chateau Ausone
2010 Ausone from Chateau Ausone, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
In the pantheon of Bordeaux greatness, the 2010 Ausone from Chateau Ausone occupies its own celestial tier. This vintage stands as a testament to the magnificence that Saint-Émilion's limestone heart can yield, especially in a year that Mother Nature graced with near-perfect conditions. The 2010 season witnessed a harmonious procession of hot days and cool nights, providing an ideal backdrop for optimal grape ripening without any overbearing heat spikes.
The Climatic Idiosyncrasies of 2010
The idyllic weather patterns of 2010 ensured that each grape variety within this prestigious blend attained the zenith of its potential. Cabernet Franc thrived in this thermal serenity, bringing to the blend a lacy structure and perfumed finesse that marries impeccably with the opulent Merlot. The resultant wine is not only intricate but also reflects the heightened concentration and complexity that defines this applauded vintage.
A Poignant Portrait of Place and Time
An intricate ballet of ripe blackberries and violets pirouettes across the olfactory senses, making an enthralling first impression. Complexity deepens with subtle brushstrokes of aniseed, wild herbs, and the unmistakable flintiness which is a hallmark of Ausone's talismanic terroir. On the palate, the wine exhibits an exquisite balance between muscular depth and precise elegance; a symphony where robust tannins and a charming acidity are in perfect harmony – suggesting commendable longevity for investors.
The 2010 Ausone elicits rapturous praise from collectors and connoisseurs alike for its confident display of power matched with poise—attributes meriting its place in any serious wine investment portfolio.
Investment Worthy: A Future Classic
Oenophiles who eye enduring value will surely find themselves drawn to the 2010 Ausone. With each passing year, this masterful creation continues to unfurl new aromatic subtleties and layers of flavour intricacy. A sound addition amidst diversified portfolios, it capably traverses the delicate line between splendid consumption and strategic acquisition. A resplendent zenith in every sense—from its radiant embodiment of Saint-Émilion's unique terroir to its persuasive ageing potential—the 2010 Ausone stands poised to claim its historic status with understated confidence.
Market price (CAD)
$10,280.00
12x75cl
Highest score
98
POP score
342.78
Scores and tasting notes
The nose is so deep and almost endless with dried strawberries, blueberries, and incense. Citrus too. Some prunes. Full body, with chewy yet polished tannin quality and tension. Beautiful focus and balance with a richness and delicacy at the same time. Something almost Burgundian. It's the purity of fruit. 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Try in 2020.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, November 14th 2013
The 2010 Ausone struck me as another brilliant, potentially perfect wine, which should come as no shock to people who have been following Vauthier's work over the last decade or more. Backward and intense, this wine offers up notes of crushed chalk/rock mineralilty interwoven with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis as well as some graphite and vanillin. It is incredibly rich but at the same time precise, fresh and vivacious. This is a super wine, but it will require enormous patience from its potential suitors. Forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 50+ years. One of the other perfectionist, compulsive producers in St.-Emilion is Alain Vauthier, who is now capably assisted by his daughter.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #194 May 2011
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Ausone opens with notes of sweaty leather, iron ore, Marmite toast and prunes with hints of dried herbs and charcuterie plus a medicinal waft. Full-bodied, the palate has a very racy line of acidity and well-played, chewy tannins supporting the maturing fruit, finishing with an herbal lift.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 5 March 2020
Tasted at the chateau. The Ausone 2010 is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot matured in new oak for 20 months. It has a very introverted nose to the point where if you served them blind, I am sure you would prefer the Chapelle d’Ausone. There is a brooding intensity here: dark cherries, boysenberry, crushed stone, fresh mint... The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, filigree tannins. It is supremely well balanced with (again) perfectly pitched acidity. The finish is grippy, dense and a little spicy – vitamin like intensity. The Cabernet Franc is the “guv’nor”, the Merlot taking a back seat role. Masculine and quite profound, this is a superlative Ausone. 18,000 bottles produced. Tasted November 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Mar 2013