Tasting Notes

90
Vinous Neal Martin - 01 Mar 18
The 1990 Ausone is a vintage that I have tasted half a dozen times, waxing lyrical when I first tasted it way back in 2000, but then my sentiments cooling off with each encounter. It has an exotic bouquet that articulates the growing season more than the terroir – camphor and eucalyptus, quite heady and showy (some might say vulgar but that would be too pejorative.) There is a smear of chocolate on the entry, moderate acidity, fleshy and ripe but missing the complexity of its peers, espresso and dried blood tincturing the fruit on the finish. It is a pleasurable Saint-Émilion rather than a great Ausone. Tasted at the Ausone vertical in London.
Drinking Date: 2018 - 2032
Place de la Bourse Bordeaux France Fine Wines

Bordeaux

Red Bordeaux, globally renowned, is crafted in France’s Bordeaux region from grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. These full-bodied wines feature dark fruit flavours, earthy and spicy notes, and often benefit from ageing. Top producers include Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Lafite Rothschild. White Bordeaux, made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, offers styles from crisp to rich, with citrus and tropical notes. Sweet Bordeaux wines, like Sauternes, are famed for their rich sweetness and flavours of apricot and honey, with Château d’Yquem as a leading producer.