Château Ausone 2022 Saint-Emilion

James Suckling
97-98/100 punten
This is really open with bright and flamboyant aromas of cassis and cherries. Blueberries. Some peaches as well. I don't remember a young Ausone like that. Full-bodied with flamboyant fruit and energy. Very fine tannins. They are there but you don't feel them. Supple but very fruity. And intensely fruity at the end.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94-96+/100 punten
A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.

Colin Hay (The Drinks Business)
(98-100)/100 punten
The nose immediately prepares you for something very special. This, for me, almost perfectly encapsulates the vintage in St Emilion and it is one of the best ever wines I have ever had the privilege to taste en primeur. Opulent, elegant and with such finesse yet at the same time both sumptuous and massive. Cassis, blueberries and cherries seems to vie for attention at first in all their plump sapid perfection, but they ultimately decide to share the same stage and when they do so this becomes almost explosive aromatically. It is floral too, with bright freshly plucked rose petals note … and when the fruit, the cedar and the flowers come together we have something magical, yet also incredibly subtle in its cool, dark precision. This is incredibly dense, multi-dimensional and supremely complex texturally. We have milles feuilles layering but also great detail and pixilation along each layer too – in fact we have three-dimensional pixilation. The structuring of the freshness is remarkable too. It seems to comes from the dark mulberry and damson fruit and that essential Cabernet blackcurrant leafiness (always present, but reinforced by aeration in the mouth, the effect staggering as it unleashes a whole new dimension of textural effects). A wine of incredible potential that will age at a glacial pace. Sapid, fresh, bright and energetic on the finish which seems to last all the way to the horizon, cross it and reach for the next.

Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux)
99-100/100 punten 
Intense and concentrated, with fennel, aniseed and liqourice root. Where Chapelle d'Ausone celebrates a wave of opulence in the vintage, this focuses more clearly on black tea, slate, intense black chocolate. Precise and well cut, this is creamy and exuberant without sacrificing elegance and balance. Amazing depths of flavour and grip. A true En Primeur sample where you know you are a long long way from this being ready to drink. The first year, incidentally, of not Premier Grand Cru Classé A, although the ranking has not been featured on the label since 2012. No irrigation at Ausone. 100% new oak. Harvest September 5 to 27. 7.25ha. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. Potential 100. 

Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider)
97-99/100 punten
Mint, licorice, spice, incense, blackberries, black cherries, espresso, flowers, crushed stones, spice and cocoa create the attention seeking nose. There is intensity, richness, depth, and energy on the palate. The influence of crushed rocks, stones, and chalk is strong on the palate. The peppery edge to the powerful layers of fruit provide additional complexity, and lift to the dark fruits. The resilient finish coats your palate with layers of salty, dark, sweet, black, red and blue fruits that linger. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Franc with 50% Merlot.15% ABV, 3.57 pH. Harvesting took place September 5-9 for the Merlot and September 21-27 for the Cabernet Franc. Yields were 38 hectoliters per hectare. 1,600 cases were produced. 

Jeb Dunnuck
96-98/100 punten
The Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more. 

Falstaff
99/100 punten
Deep dark ruby in colour with purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, an immensely engaging bouquet with Intense berry fruit, floral and underpinned with liquorice, very fresh and attractive. The palate is juicy, with silky supporting tannins, mineral and highly elegant with fine red berry fruit and a saline finish. A fine wine with great length, and very good potential for further development. 

Decanter
96/100 punten 
Quite intense nose, strongly perfumed and scented with purple flowers and a mix of red and black fruit. Fragrant with chocolate, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, crushed stones and liquorice. Aromatically very inviting. Plush and sapid, tannins are ripe but the acidity gives it real tension so you get some intensity of texture and sharpness of fruit on the palate making it a bit serious and tense right now though with lovely detail and lots of precision in terms of tannins and fruit. Mouthwatering acidity is at the fore, really giving some zing and electricity to this while the crushed stones, liquorice and clove spice give the accents around the edges. Clear strength and concentration, such power underneath - you do feel the heat from the alcohol (15.4%!) but the acidity and soft mineral elements help keep the balance and frame though it’s not as demonstrably mineral as some years. Acidity does settle and this expands slowly - keeping the linearity and sense of focus but also giving hints to its power and ageability. Sculpted and well delivered, characterful and confident with long ageing potential. Long finish with graphite, pencil lead and toasted spices on the finish. 3.57pH 85% grand vin, 20,000 bottles. Harvest 5 and 9 September for Merlot, 21 and 27 September for Cabernet Franc. A yield of 38hl/ha. Potential upscore in bottle. 

Jancis Robinson
18/20 punten
Unusually aromatic at this early stage. Complex floral and red- and dark-fruit notes. Uncompromisingly dense with plentiful but fine tannins. Smooth texture. No hard edges but firm and persistent. Plenty of potential. 

Neal Martin (Vinous)
95-97,5/100 punten
These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn't help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score.