2017 Chapelle d'Ausone
By Chateau Ausone
2017 Chapelle d'Ausone, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France
The solemnity and prestige of Bordeaux are exemplified by such oenological gems as the 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone from Chateau Ausone. This vintage stands as a testament to the resilience and adaptation of Saint-Émilion's terroir amidst the challenges presented in the 2017 growing season. With precision and grace, Chateau Ausone has sculpted an offering that captures one’s imagination.
Artful Adaptation in the Vineyard
In 2017, frost grievously tested the Saint-Émilion region, casting a spectre of uncertainty. However, the resoluteness of Chateau Ausone's viticultural practices meant that this vintage deftly sidestepped potential adversity. The resulting harvest allowed for a Chapelle d’Ausone that encapsulates both the power and elegance - a wine that promises to unfurl with even greater complexity as the years progress.
Tactile Finesse on the Palate
This particular vintage of the Chapelle d'Ausone exhibits a firm structure balanced by a mélange of dark berries, licorice, and a subtle undercurrent of wet stone minerality. It possesses an opulence illumed by lively acidity which suggests longevity and a remarkable capacity for evolution in one's cellar.
An Investment in Liquid Luxury
The 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone is undoubtedly one for connoisseurs who not only seek the pleasure of tasting but also appreciate the foresight of investment in fine wines. The regal lineage of Chateau Ausone all but assures that such a specimen will continue to command attention and rightfully remain an asset in any discerning portfolio.
Lastly, embracing the 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone into your collection is not merely adding a bottle; it is an acquisition of historical craftsmanship calibrated to modern exactitudes - a coupling of nature's unpredictabilities with human artifice, producing ambrosial poetry cradled in glass.
Market price (GBP)
£1,310.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
93.57
Scores and tasting notes
Very minerally with lots of salt and white-pepper character that complements pure and dark fruits. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a linear finish.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com
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.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 16 March 2020
A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone opens with slightly reticent notes of crushed black berries, cassis and tilled soil with sparks of black raspberries, red roses and cedar chest plus wafts of iron ore and crushed stones. The palate is medium to full-bodied and rich, densely packed with firm, very fine-grained tannins, vibrant fruit and a very long, mineral-laced finish. Impressive!
Wine Advocate - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - robertparker.com
The 2017 Chapelle d'Ausone is a very serious second wine. Dark, powerful and concentrated, with a surprising amount of tannin and overall structure, the 2017 is impressive. Unless it softens considerably during aging, the 2017 is likely going to require a number of years to be at its best given its formidable structure. Even so, there is tremendous purity to the fruit and certainly much to look forward to.
Antonio Galloni - Antonio Galloni - vinous.com - May '18
The 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone was cropped at 35hl/ha, picked between 23 September and 2 October. It is matured in 100% new oak for 20 months. At the moment, the oak is dominating the aromatics although with aeration one catches glimpses of black cherry, crushed strawberry fruit, plus a hint of vanilla extract. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannin, crisp black fruit with a light saline influence, moderate in length but perhaps just missing a little depth towards the finish. Otherwise this is a very competent deuxième vin.
Neal Martin - Neal Martin - vinous.com - May '18