2018 Chapelle d'Ausone
By Chateau Ausone
2018 Chapelle d'Ausone from Chateau Ausone, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
In the famed lineage of Chateau Ausone's formidable releases, the 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone offers a rare glimpse into a vineyard widely considered an irreplaceable jewel of Saint-Emilion. This vintage in particular whispers a tale of climatic benevolence and expert vinification, affording investors and connoisseurs alike a chance to explore its distinctive eloquence.
A Vintage Defining Grace and Power
The 2018 growing season was marked by challenges that culminated in redemption through an Indian summer, delivering balance and concentration to the berries. The resultant wine maps a trajectory of exquisite composition, where maturity meets elegance. This is Bordeaux at its most expressive, encapsulating a season of drama transmuted into liquid nobility.
The Quintessence of Terroir
Fortune favours the patient with this 2018 offering, as mere sips reveal a crescendo of blackcurrant, violet, and graphite notes—a triumvirate that echoes the unique terroir of Chateau Ausone. The judicious use of oak nurtures the complexity of flavour without overwhelming, ensuring that each taste is a reminder of the wine's provenance and potential within the sphere of wine investment.
Candidly speaking, this classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is less about power and more about poetry; it’s one to be pondered over each glass. Investing in the 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is not merely an acquisition of Bordeaux excellence, but an embrace of viticultural history moulded by the hands of time—ripe for those aspiring to add depth to their portfolio.
The 2018 vintage endorses the mastery inherent in the Chateau Ausone name, encapsulated in its second wine—the Chapelle d'Ausone. With its distinctive character emerging rather early, it stands as a testament to an extraordinary year that has captured the hearts—and palates—of aficionados globally.
Market price (CAD)
$2,270.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
97.86
Scores and tasting notes
This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It’s full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com - April 2019
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is made of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, as impenetrable as this wine's big-brother grand vin wine is, this is the precocious, show-off younger sibling. It comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, stewed plums and Black Forest cake, giving way to suggestions of rose oil, dusty soil and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black and red berry layers, framed by beautifully ripe, finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Delicious right now, if money's no object, buy this and the grand vin. The 2018 Ausone is going to take a good few years to come around, but this second wine offers a true enough taste of that epic feast of a wine to come.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 31 March 2021
This is a pretty serious Chapelle - you can tell it's going to age well with its sense of purpose and power, yet it demonstrates notable restraint. It has the most incredible aromatics, with beautiful depth and power, and a silky texture with clear Cabernet influence to the savoury black cherry and liquorice. There's no hiding how ripe those tannins are. 37hl/ha yields, relatively normal for Ausone despite mildew pressure that was the worst Alain Vauthier had seen in 45 years.
Jane Anson - Decanter - April 2019
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is a drop-dead gorgeous second wine. Wonderfully finessed in every way, the 2018 conveys intensity allied to a sense of weightless elegance. Freshly cut flowers, spice and blood orange add freshness, but more than anything else, the Chapelle is a Saint-Émilion that speaks to regal elegance. It is also one of the best wines in its peer group.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous - April 2019