Château Ausone 2006

Bettane et Desseauve

La Revue du Vin de France

Wine Enthusiast

Strength and elegance go together in this wine. It has a pure line of clear berry fruits that float above the tannic core. It is not so much rich as dense, the tannins a vivid counterpoint to the fruit. The wine finishes with fine, elegant sweetness, but it is the purity of line that stays in the memory. Age for 10 years at least.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

Clearly a contender for wine of the vintage. In a year of masculine styled wine, this is soft, refined and elegant. The ripe tannins are buried under a wealth of ripe fruit, stone, floral and earthy charms. Not close to mature, but offering a beautiful, velvet, focused tasting experience today. If I owned a bottle, I would wait at least 10-15 or 20 years. But if you own a case and you're curious.... why not?

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Ausone has a fragrant bouquet compared to the 2006 Pavie, fomenting more secondary aromas such as smoke, cigar box, potpourri and a smear of Seville orange marmalade. The palate is very refined on the entry, rounded and supple in the mouth. It clearly does not have the density and weight of the Pavie, but it exerts an insistent grip in the mouth and the tannins have symmetry on the finish. It is a very fine Ausone, although Alain Vauthier has overseen better vintages in recent years. Tasted January 2016.

Decanter Magazine

Tannins are still firmly in control and the 55% Cabernet Franc is lean and fresh, but with a silky sense of possibility and a smoky quality to the fruit. This is grilled to perfection, adding depth and complexity but highlighting the dark fruit purity. Never a hint of excess in Ausone, and the enforced restraint of 2006 suits it perfectly. One to cellar with confidence.

James Suckling

Great nose of red fruit with just a hint of pomegranate. So poised and precise for a wine with this much concentration and structure. The richness is welded to a stack of fine tannins that gives this a stunning balance of ripeness and vitality. Very long, focused finish that has a lot of drive, without being a jot domineering. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting.