Château Ausone

Explore our selection of Château Ausone wines for sale, including the celebrated Saint-Émilion grand vin and its second wine, Chapelle d'Ausone. Browse available vintages and current prices from one of Bordeaux's most storied and scarce estates, with bottles suited to both cellaring and special occasions.

About Château Ausone

Château Ausone, named after the Roman poet Ausonius, has records dating back to at least 1592. Over the centuries the estate has passed through a small number of families. Today it is owned and run by the Vauthier family, led by Alain Vauthier, whose daughter Pauline has worked alongside him in the winemaking since 2005. Michel Rolland has served as a consulting enologist.

The family history of recent decades matters because it shaped the wine. From the mid-1970s, the Dubois-Challon and Vauthier sides of the family shared control of the property. Winemaking was handled by Alain Vauthier and Pascal Delbeck, who worked well together at first but later disagreed so sharply that even basic decisions, such as when to start the harvest, ended up in court. The stalemate held back investment in the estate. It ended in 1995, when Madame Dubois-Challon explored selling Ausone outside the family. The Vauthiers asserted a right of first refusal, won in court and took full control, although she kept the right to live at the château until her death in 2003.

The vineyard is exceptional. It covers about 7 hectares (roughly 18 acres) of limestone and clay on the côte beside the château, planted with roughly equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The site is naturally sheltered, and Ausone was one of the few Saint-Émilion estates to escape the devastating frost of 1956. With old vines and low yields, the fruit has the concentration needed for long aging.

At the end of the 16th century, the hillside next to Ausone was quarried for stone to rebuild the walls of Saint-Émilion. The resulting limestone caves still provide the cellars, keeping the wines at a naturally steady temperature. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled oak vats, followed by roughly 20 to 22 months in barrel. Production is small.

Ausone has long been regarded as one of Saint-Émilion's two greatest estates. In the 1955 classification and its revisions, it held the top rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé A, alongside Cheval Blanc. In 2021 Ausone announced that it would not seek reclassification, and it does not appear in the 2022 Saint-Émilion classification. Under Alain Vauthier's direction since 1995, the wines have been consistently acclaimed by critics around the world.

The second wine, Chapelle d'Ausone, offers an introduction to the estate's style at a lower price. The Vauthier family also owns other Saint-Émilion properties, including Château Moulin Saint-Georges and Château Fonbel. At Aabalat Fine & Rare Wines, we offer a changing selection of Ausone vintages. Explore the available wines below to find your next addition to the cellar.