Château Ausone

A tiny and discreet property clinging to the steep east south-east facing hard limestone slopes, on the edge of the medieval town of Saint-Émilion. The sheltered terraces with thin clay topsoils protect the ancient (some 100 years old) mainly Cabernet Franc vines from frost. Château Ausone takes its name from the 4th century Roman Poet Ausonius, probably the first Bordeaux influencer.
A small medieval chapel with an ancient fresco of the Last Judgement reflects the religious history of the town, and the stone quarries under the vines were converted into cellars in the eighteenth century. It’s not all about the past, Alain Vauthier took over in the 1990s, bringing the property to its current iconic status. It is now run by his daughter Pauline.
In 2010, they modernized the cellar and have reduced new oak since the 2011 allowing the fruit to shine through the power.
Classified as a Grand Cru Classé A since the first classification, they withdrew in 2022.
If the astronomical prices are above your pay grade, search out for Vauthier’s other properties Château Moulin-Saint-Georges, Château de Fonbel, Château Haut-Simard, Château Simard, and Château La Clotte.