Ausone 2001

The 2001 Ausone has put on even more weight than I anticipated. The wine of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored 2001 boasts a provocative, floral perfume of crushed stones, raspberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and smoke. What makes it so sensational are the layers of flavor and nuances that unfold as the wine sits in the glass as well as on the palate. This is an extraordinarily intense effort, but remarkably elegant and well-balanced. It ideally needs another decade of cellaring; it should last for 4-5 decades! Alain Vauthier is a perfectionist, which is evidenced by what he has produced over the last half dozen vintages at Ausone. Kudos to readers lucky enough to find a bottle or two ... and live long enough to enjoy them in their prime. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050+.

Mid red. An enveloping cloud of warm, rich aroma. Quite pronounced acidity and freshness. Spiney – linear. An interesting wine. Very hard work on the palate at the end – a bit forced. Very dry finish. Another wine that tastes Spanish!

A very fine wine, so close in quality to the 2000 but 25% less in volume (yield 28 hl/ha). Deep colour, beautifully pitched dark berry fruits, sweet and smooth on the palate with loads of fine tannins and a freshness on the finish. *****

The inky purple-colored 2001 does not display the breadth of flavor or pure magic of the 2000, but it is already a candidate for the vintage's longest-lived wine. It possesses the tell-tale Ausone bouquet of liquified minerals, blackberries, black currants, and flowers. It is sweet, ripe, structured, tannic, and impressively endowed, with a finish that lasts over 30 seconds. Although the tannin is noticeable, so is the fruit purity, freshness, and delineation. Medium to full-bodied, this gorgeous Ausone is for connoisseurs only. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.