Château Ausone 2005 in a 6-litre imperial, presented in its original wooden case. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot from a seven-hectare Saint-Émilion vineyard, and Decanter later gave it a full retrospective feature in its magazine.
About This Wine
2005 was close to ideal: an easy flowering, a hot, sunny summer, and just enough rain in August and early September to prevent stress in the vines. The harvest came in under clear skies. Yields at Ausone were about 30 hectolitres per hectare from vines averaging 50 years old, and just over 1,300 cases were made. The wine reached 14% alcohol. A 6-litre bottle ages far more slowly than a standard bottle, so this imperial will need many more years.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Blueberry, blackberry and cherry, with incense, liquorice, rose, crushed rock and a hint of truffle.
- Palate: Full-bodied and layered, with deep fruit, very firm, fine tannins and lively acidity.
- Finish: Very long and mineral, with lasting floral perfume.
Serving & Food
An imperial is a party wine, so plan ahead: stand it upright for several days, decant three to four hours before serving at 17 to 18°C, and use large Bordeaux glasses. Serve with roast venison, beef Wellington, or a whole roast leg of lamb.
How to Enjoy
A major celebration for a big table, and cellars that can hold a large-format bottle for decades.
Product Details
Producer: Château Ausone
Country: France
Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux
Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé A at time of release
Vintage: 2005
Grape Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot
ABV: 14%
Packaging: Original wooden case (OWC)
Volume: 6L (imperial)
About the Château
Ausone is named after the Roman poet Ausonius, who is said to have had a villa near Saint-Émilion in the fourth century. The estate sits right against the town, with the upper vineyard on the famous limestone plateau and the rest on steep, clay-rich slopes that form a kind of amphitheatre below the château and its rock-cut cellars. It is tiny, about seven hectares. The Vauthier family runs it. Ausone sat at the top of the Saint-Émilion classification from the start and left the system in 2021.