Château Ausone 1er grand cru classé (A), St-Emilion

Château Ausone trades on strict scarcity and an uncompromising independent path outside the Saint-Émilion classification system. The estate occupies a limestone terrace where steep clay slopes govern the terroir. Philippe Vauthier directs production, maintaining an equal blend of cabernet franc and merlot. This high cabernet franc proportion defies right-bank norms, trading heavy extraction for mineral restraint. Expect structural longevity underpinned by dark cherry, crushed stone, and tobacco aromatics.