2023 Chapelle d'Ausone, St Emilion, Bordeaux

60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Same blend as 2022 and 2020. Cask sample.

Dense and floral with a hint of minty freshness. Smooth attack then plenty of line and length, the fruit enrobing the tannins. Freshness through and through. 

Drink 2030 - 2042

The 2023 Chapelle d'Ausone has a well-defined bouquet with dark berry fruit, bell pepper and light gravel scents, nicely focused with a subtle marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, though it is not as fleshy as previous vintages with quite a strict and linear finish. I suspect it will fill out during barrel-maturation.

Drink 2027 - 2040

A fresh, delicate bouquet of cassis, violet, iris, raspberries and mulberries introduces the 2023 Chapelle d'Ausone, a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit structured around chalky tannins and a long, precise finish.

Drink 2025 - 2040

The 2023 Chapelle d’Ausone is fabulous, as it often is. Succulent, ripe tannins give the 2023 tons of pure charm. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and mocha all run through this sumptuous yet structured Saint-Émilion. This will be stellar in another few years time.

Drink 2030 - 2048

A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Chapelle d’Ausone is a combination of two plots, plus some press wine. It has a deep garnet-purple color and after a little shaking the nose erupts with notes of wild strawberries, black raspberries, and wood smoke, followed by nuances of garrigue and fallen leaves, with a hint of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate vibrates with electric black and red berry layers, framed by fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long and shimmery. Impressive!

Drink 2028 - 2042

Ruby, plum, grilled almond, fennel, love the depth of this wine, sappy and irresistible. 100% new oak. Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Vauthier family owners, organic certified in the vineyard.

Drink 2030 - 2044

Wow. This is really alluring, with multi-dimensional texture and length. Crisp and al-dente. It's medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and crunchy, pure fruit. Salt comes through. 60% cabernet franc, 35% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon.