Category: | Red Wines |
Sub-Category: | Red Wines |
Producer: | Ausone |
Label Name: | St Emilion Gcc a |
Vintage: | 2008 |
Country: | France |
Region: | Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux (Right Bank) |
Volume: | 1500ml |
ABV: | 14% |
Grape(s): | 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot |
Acidity: | 4 |
Tannins: | 4 |
Sweetness: | 1 |
Body: | 4 |
Length: | 5 |
Aroma Intensity: | 5 |
Best Temperature: | 16-18°C |
Awards/Ratings
Robert Parker (WA) 98; Jeb Dunnuck 98; Decanter 19/20; Neal Martin (Vinous) ~95–96; James Suckling 96; Wine Spectator ~94. Drinking window often cited 2016–2066
Tasting Note
Concentrated, perfumed black fruit (blueberry, blackberry) with floral, truffle, crushed stone and camphor notes. Medium–full-bodied with fine, cashmere tannins, bright mineral lift and an extraordinarily long, saline finish.
Food Pairing
Western: roast lamb, beef rib, venison, mushroom risotto, aged cheeses. Asian: Peking duck, char siu or Cantonese roast pork, braised beef with soy, shiitake/soy mushroom dishes.
Production Method
Hand-harvested, small-batch fermentation in temperature-controlled vats; extended malolactic fermentation and ~18–20 months ageing in oak barrels (portion new oak). Low yields (~20 hl/ha).
Vineyard Info
Château Ausone (Vauthier family) is a tiny, prestigious 7 ha Saint-Émilion estate planted mainly to Cabernet Franc and Merlot; famed for limestone soils and long-lived, highly perfumed wines.