Chateau Ausone 2014

JAMES SUCKLING: "Fabulous aromas of currants, rose petals, dried strawberries and hints of lemon rind. Wet earth and chalk. Full and dense and so compacted and squeezed. What a texture. Phenomenal. Needs five to six years to open, but it’s a joy to taste. Amazing. Such energy! From organically grown grapes as well. I am in awe."

WEINWISSER: "Mittelkräftiges Rubinrot, etwas mehr Rand. Florale, sinnliche Nase, ergreifend. Viel Souplesse. Blaubeeren, grosser Trinkfluss, tolle Extraktsüsse, sublimer, femininer Gaumen, fast schwebend, Finesse pur. Minze, wieder floral, elegant, lang, subtil, grosse Spannkraft, nuanciert, ein grosses Finessenstück! Wow!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Showing an espresso, earthy minerals, flowers and dark fruit nose, this wine has lush, sensuous tannins and there is a serious sense of purity to the fruit. The long finish is silky, giving you a posh texture in the mouth and finishing with a suave, black cherry and licorice note. Using 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the wine reached 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.5 and represents 67% of the crop. The yields were only 27 hectoliters per hectare."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This grand wine is stylish and elegant. It is also powerful and dense with dark tannins and great concentration. It is a very fine wine, packed with black plum and berry fruits and balanced richness. Don't let the great fruit deceive: this is a wine for the serious long term. Drink from 2028."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2014 Ausone, a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, was matured in barrel for 20 months with 85% new oak. Compared to the Chapelle d'Ausone, this Grand Vin demanded gentle coaxing from the glass. It eventually unfurls to reveal mineral-rich red berry fruit, oregano, orange blossom and later on blackcurrant winegums. It displays superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin. There is an almost sorbet-like freshness conferred upon this Saint Emilion by the growing season, very harmonious and poised with one of the most precise and tensile finishes that you will find this vintage. One of the stars of the vintage, this may merit a higher score with bottle age. This is a great success."

DECANTER: "My Right Bank wine of the vintage, along with Lafleur (Pomerol). A record 60% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Powerful and fine at once. Racy dark fruit, liquorice and violet nose. Palate has real verve, tension and ample fruit. Strong tannic frame but tiny, fine tannins. Minerally presence. Balanced. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045."