1928-1990 Château Ausone, five vintages

1928 Château Ausone:
Estate bottled. (served blind) Top shoulder fill (told afterwards). Garnet with orange rim. Redcurrant's, leather, figs, light but very complex nose, Burgundian feel, but more complex than most Burgundies. Floral high-notes, fresh tobacco and cigars. Almost cedary, ads and ads with air. Fresh acidity, tannins gone, leanish body, more fruit and flavour intensity. Mouthwatering, body ads as well with air. Not the longest. Broadbent: 'By the early eighties it had lost a good deal of colour yet, despite of fungi on the nose, was fairly harmonious..... (In 1998) ....on the palate surprisingly full and rich with good length and acidity. Not my favorite '28, but, at best ***'. 95 (Oh, by the way, I was about 40 years off on this blind..... )


1955 Château Ausone:
Mid-shoulder fill, estate bottled. Bright ruby, brick rim. Coffee, heavy, rich, spicy and chocolaty nose with figs, prunes and licorice beneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fatter body and not quite as charming, but who am I to complain? Still a great wine, balanced and fairly elegant, long. Broadbent has no notes on this. 93


1961 Château Ausone:
Late château release 2007, fill one centimeter below cork, recorked in 2007 om release. Bright ruby, so pure, so young. Pure blueberries, Christmas spices, leather, you can forget yourself in this nose. Perfect palate, fresh acidity, ripe tannins, superb fruit, intensity is just perfection, meaning not to much, but enough to cover everything in silk and velvet. The balance is beyond, fantastic wine and absolutely amazing length. This is perfection. 100


1975 Château Ausone:
Top shoulder fill. Bright ruby, brick rim. Cherry stones, leather and figs. Leather and tobacco beneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant body, surprisingly easy-going for the vintage. Broadbent in 1995: 'dried leaves simile- nose and taste, quite good length but tannic'. This one had more fruit than that and the tannins was polished into it, even if still there. 91


1990 Château Ausone:
Unfortunately badly corked. According to Broadbent starting with: 'Superb, highly impressive in April 1991. Only two more notes, the last at Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting, it was still an odd-man out. Now mature-looking; low-keyed, attractive bouquet; a soft, sweet entry, crisp, fragrant and a very dru 'autumnal' finish'. I haven't tasted any other bottles than this corked one, so I wouldn.t know.