Château Ausone

While many Bordeaux estates claim a long history, Château Ausone, can date its lineage back to 300AD and the Roman poet, Ausonius. His villa reputedly stood on the site of the current château and he planted 100 acres of vines in St-Emilion. The Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) is one of the most sought after St-Emilions made. At most, just 2,000 cases are produced each vintage, helping to fuel demand when supply is so limited.

Ausone has 7 hectares of uniquely placed vineyards, perched on a limestone hillside and protected from the harsher elements. So unique is their situation that Robert Parker described it as ‘hallowed terroir’. Equal amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown, along with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon which goes into the second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone. The Vauthier family have owned Ausone since 1690 and the 11th generation, Alain and his daughter Pauline, oversee the estate today along with the expertise of consultant oenologist Michel Rolland. Alain has been credited with raising the profile of Ausone when he took over in the 1990s and it has been almost unstoppable since.