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More wines available from Chateau Ausone
![Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1995 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/a4/a4c505007c7cdf069f24c113101e92fd.jpg)
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Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1995
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$691.88
Flower and berry character, with hints of clove and black pepper. Full-bodied and very rich, with decadent flavors....
![Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/a4/a4c505007c7cdf069f24c113101e92fd.jpg)
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Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$768.06
I’m still looking forward to tasting the great Château Ausone of Saint-Émilion later this week, but in the...
![Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2002 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/a4/a4c505007c7cdf069f24c113101e92fd.jpg)
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Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2002
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$537.59
In many respects, the 2002 may be even more impressive than the 2003. A far more challenging vintage to get...
![Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2003 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/a4/a4c505007c7cdf069f24c113101e92fd.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
Chateau Ausone Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2003
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1027.66
Amazing! The limestone soils of Ausone appear to have been the perfect foil for resisting the extreme heat and...
More Details
Winery
Chateau Ausone
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Red Bordeaux
There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.
Region: Bordeaux
Although most commonly associated with their superb blended red wines, the world-famous region of Bordeaux in France is responsible for a relatively wide array of wines, ranging from the sweet and viscous white wines of Sauternes, to the dry and acidic single variety white wines found all over the region. However, it is the red wines which regularly make the wine world's headlines, and have historically been regarded as the finest on earth. The secret to the region's success is the fact that the warm and humid climate, coupled with mineral rich clay and gravel based soils produces grapes of excellent quality. Wineries in this region have spent hundreds of years mastering the art of blending and oak aging in order to get the best results from each grape, and remain the envy of the world to this day.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
Appellation: Saint Emilion
There are few wine regions in the world quite as famous or respected as France's Bordeaux, and within Bordeaux, the one sub-region which stands head and shoulders above the rest is Saint Emilion. This very special area benefits enormously from both fine climatic conditions and superb soils – mainly clay and gravel based – alongside the nutrients and moisture supplied by the ancient Gironde river. Most wineries in Saint Emilion blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot varietal grapes for the production of their blended red wines, but unblended bottles are also regularly produced, to extremely high standards. The region is one steeped in history and tradition, and remains one of France's premier wine producing regions recognized worldwide for its quality and excellence.