Château Ausone - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1996

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

par Neal Martin le 25/08/2009

This has an intense nose of black fruits, tobacco, seaweed, damp moss and sous-bois, all very well defined and quite alluring. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, less raw than four years ago, more harmonious with a saturated mouthfeel. The Cabernet Franc is less dominant than before and this engenders and more sensuous Ausone, although there is a touch of dryness on the cassis-driven finish that is quite Burgundian in texture. Very fine Ausone, although it lacks the breeding of Vauthier’s recent vintages. Drink now-2025. Tasted June 2009.

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/1999

I do not understand the critics of Alain Vautier, who now has sole control of Ausone and is taking the estate's quality to a higher level. Moreover, the wine is consistent, with great depth and richness on the mid-palate, without sacrificing Ausone's 40-50+ years of longevity. As I suspected, the 1996 is beginning to shut down. I left it in the glass for nearly 30 minutes and was impressed with the nuances that developed. The color is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness, and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspiring Ausones of the eighties and seventies. The wine is stylish, and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

par James Suckling le 31/01/1999

Impressive dark color, with blackberry and dark-chocolate aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm yet silky tannins and a chocolate, toasted-oak aftertaste. Another ace from Ausone. Proves great terroir produces the best wines in less-than-great years. Best after 2002

Wine Advocate

94-95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 28/02/1998

A brilliant Ausone, the 1996 displays this property's tell-tale mineral characteristic in its multidimensional bouquet. In addition, there is a plum-like liqueur intermixed with black currants, cold steel, floral, and crushed stone scents. Dense and rich, as well as extremely subtle, this medium-bodied Ausone possesses extraordinary richness, yet no sense of heaviness. It takes the prize for having a rare equilibrium of flavor and structure. As the wine sat in the glass, I was convinced I smelled violets, or something that reminded me of the 1990 Comte de Vogue Musigny. Undoubtedly one of the great wines of the vintage, the 1996 Ausone will require a decade of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2050.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/1997

This great Ausone may turn out to be the finest wine made at this property since the 1982. The 1996, which has superb equilibrium, boasts a dense, saturated purple color, as well as a tight but strikingly complex nose of violets, crushed stones, and black and blue fruits. The wine's high tannin is nicely complemented by dense, concentrated, purely delineated fruit that cascades across the palate with intensity, but no heaviness. The wine possesses a velvety component (rare for Ausone), admirably integrated toasty new oak, and exceptional length (more than 35 seconds). The 1996 Ausone will be one of the stars of this classic vintage, but do not expect it to provide near-term satisfaction. This is a wine to lay away for 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.