Chapelle d'Ausone 2022
Country: France Region: Bordeaux (Saint-Emilion)
Varietal: Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%
Vintage: 2022 Colour: Red Style: Dry
Producer: Château Ausone
The 2022 Chapelle d'Ausone is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermentation and maceration takes place in thermoregulated wooden vats before aging in new oak barrels for about 20 months. The father and daughter team of Alain and Pauline Vauthier make wonderfully ethereal wines from the exceptional limestone slopes below Chateau Ausone. Chapelle represents about 25% of the production from the Ausone vineyard in 2022 and we found it slightly harder to assess than usual, less dramatic, more controlled and reserved. That said, with coaxing, one gets a glimpse at the glorious bouquet of wildflowers, stones, blood orange and camphor. The palate is layered and multifaceted, with impressive concentration and lots of nuance. At this stage the tannins are more dominant than usual and need to find a harmony with the fruit, but there's plenty of potential here.
95/100 Points - Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com
"A great vintage that shows the paradox of limestone, its ability to deliver fragrance and finesse and a touch of austerity even in the most opulent of vintages. 100% new oak for ageing, last year of organic conversion. A beautiful Chapelle that will charm for decades."
94/100 Points - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
"Really bright and open with flowers and plums as well as blueberries. It's medium- to full- bodied with creamy and round tannins and a vivid finish. Lots of energy and fruitiness. Second wine of Ausone. 60% cabernet franc, 35% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028."
93/100 Points William Kelley, Wine Advocate
"The 2022 Chapelle d'Ausone has turned out nicely, offering up aromas of sweet mulberries, blackberries and plums mingled with hints of violets, mint and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and textural, it's concentrated and generously extracted, with ripe acids and a saline, oak-inflected finish. 2030 - 2050"
93-95/100 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
"A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a pH of 3.52 and a TPI of 74, the Chapelle d’Ausone 2022 is deep garnet-purple in colour. It swans out with showy notions of kirsch, black cherry compote, and black raspberries, followed by wafts of garrigue, violets, and cedar chest. Full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, delivering firm, fine-grained tannins and amazing acidity to support the dense, generous fruit, finishing long and minerally. Impressive!"
