Chapelle d'Ausone - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Red 2019

Grape

60 % Cabernet Franc, 40 % Merlot.

Tasting notes

Chapelle d'Ausone 2019 is a dense, powerful and impeccably balanced Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, the highly sought-after second wine of Chateau Ausone, one of the appellation's two Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates. Built on a blend dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it opens with lifted, fragrant aromas of black raspberry, redcurrant jelly and wild dark cherry, layered with sweet oak notes of vanilla, cinnamon and baking spice, and delicate hints of violet and rose petal. The palate is medium to full bodied and sumptuously textured, with a concentrated core of cherry pie, ripe blueberry and dark plum, set against a savoury counterpoint of unsmoked cigar, tobacco and sandalwood. The finish is exceptionally persistent, vibrant, perfumed and subtly mineral, a wine of rare elegance and plush texture that carries the unmistakable DNA of its illustrious parent estate.

More About The Winery

Named after the Roman poet Ausonius, who once owned vineyards around Saint-Émilion, Château Ausone is one of Bordeaux’s most iconic estates. Perched dramatically on the limestone slopes just outside the village, Ausone’s 7.3 hectares of vines benefit from a steep, south-east exposure that shelters them from harsh winds and rain.

The vineyard is evenly planted to 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, with vines at the top rooted in the limestone plateau, while those lower down thrive in clay and loam soils. This unique terroir yields wines of extraordinary depth, minerality, and ageing potential.

After struggling in the mid-20th century, Ausone reclaimed its legendary status from the late 1970s under Pascal Delbeck and, more recently, with Michel Rolland as consultant. Today, Château Ausone produces ultra-rich, powerful, and exotically perfumed wines, considered among the very best of Bordeaux. Revered for their longevity, these wines demand at least 10 years of cellaring and reward patience with unrivalled complexity and finesse.