Chapelle d'Ausone 2017

Tasting note

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.

First, the bad news: because of the frosts, there is no Simard this year. Now for the good news: the flagship wine here is blow-you-away extraordinary. "I think now we are making wines that have the ability to drink now and also age,” Pauline Vauthier told me. “I think the technique of the winemaking has changed. We are becoming lighter with extraction. Now it is about maceration...like a tea bag,” she smiled. With absolutely no frost damage to the 2017 crop at Château Ausone this year, Alain and his daughter Pauline have nailed the expression of the 2017 vintage, revealing the disarming beauty of this year with layers of perfume and wonderfully “sweet,” super-ripe tannins, plus the arresting intensity that the best examples possess. Bravo/brava!

Because of the frosts, there is no Simard this year. On the bright side though, the flagship wine here is blow-you-away extraordinary.

“I think now we are making wines that have the ability to drink now and also age,” Pauline Vauthier told me. “I think the technique of the winemaking has changed. We are becoming lighter with extraction. Now it is about maceration...like a tea bag,” she smiled. With absolutely no frost damage to the 2017 crop at Chateau Ausone this year, Alain and his daughter Pauline have nailed the expression of the 2017 vintage, revealing the disarming beauty of this year with layers of perfume and wonderfully “sweet,” super ripe tannins, plus the arresting intensity that the best examples possess. Bravo/brava!