Chateau Ausone
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classe
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classe A
2015
Vintage
Varietal
Bordeaux Blend
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2020-2050).
In 2026 the Chateau Ausone Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classe A 2015 is 6 years into its peak arc, having entered peak maturity in 2020 and running through 2050, with 24 years of prime drinking remaining. The 2015 sits at a confident midpeak position in 2026, presenting what is widely considered the most generously expressive and approachable Ausone released in the decade from 2010 to 2020 and now showing at the most harmonious and completely developed expression it has achieved in its arc so far. Where Ausone's most celebrated recent vintages (2000, 2001, 2005, 2006) have been defined by an austerity of structure and reserve of aromatic expression that rewards the longest cellaring but tests patience in the early and middle peak years, the 2015 at peak year 6 is showing the combination of warmth, natural acidity balance, and generous aromatic opulence that the exceptional 2015 Bordeaux growing season coaxed from the estate's unique limestone amphitheater terroir in a way that made the violet, rose hip, black cherry, graphite, iron ore, and incense character simultaneously more accessible and more completely open than typical Ausone at comparable peak stages. The dark earth minerality that is Ausone's most distinctive and irreplicable terroir fingerprint is fully present and showing at its most deeply integrated form in 2026, the estate's unmistakable combination of chalky limestone and iron-rich clay soils on the Saint-Emilion plateau producing the dark mineral complexity that distinguishes Ausone from all other right bank Premiers Grands Crus Classés. With 24 years of peak remaining, the 2015 is the Ausone to drink from now through the 2040s with consistent rewards at every stage of the arc.
The ‘15 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classe.
Ausone 2015, peak yr 6: violet, rose hip, black cherry, graphite, iron ore, incense, dark earth. The most generously expressive and approachable Ausone in a decade, at confident midpeak. 24 years remaining.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The Chateau Ausone Saint-Emilion 2015 opens in a deep, concentrated garnet of considerable luminosity and depth, the color reflecting the 2015 growing season's exceptional ripeness while the wine's clarity signals the estate's minimal-intervention approach to extraction and clarification. The nose is arrestingly complex from the first pour, leading with violet of great intensity and aromatic lift that is one of the Cabernet Franc dominant Ausone style's most celebrated and immediately recognizable qualities: the violet character that the estate's high-elevation limestone amphitheater site produces in its Cabernet Franc-dominant blends is more pronounced and aromatic than any other Saint-Emilion Premiers Grands Crus Classés expression, and in the generous 2015 vintage it shows at maximum opulence and generosity. Rose hip adds the secondary floral dimension with a dried-floral complexity that gives the aromatic register unusual depth and herbaceous-floral nuance. Black cherry provides the primary fruit foundation in its most completely ripe and precisely defined form, the 2015 vintage's exceptional phenolic ripeness delivering black cherry at the precise intersection of ripeness and freshness that Ausone's cool limestone terroir preserves even in warm years. Graphite and iron ore add the mineral complexity dimensions that are uniquely Ausone's terroir signature within the Saint-Emilion appellation: not the plush, earthy clay minerality of Petrus and Cheval Blanc's predominantly clay and sand soils, but a harder, more mineral and iron-inflected complexity that reflects the limestone and iron-rich clay of the Ausone plateau. Incense adds an exotic spice complexity dimension that the estate's old-vine Cabernet Franc contributes in its most warm-vintage expressive form. On the palate the wine is structured yet seamless, the tannins impeccably fine and long at peak year 6, and the finish stretching in waves of mineral, red fruit, and warm stone through an extended conclusion of considerable complexity and Ausone authority.
The 2015 vintage
The 2015 Bordeaux growing season produced what is widely considered the greatest vintage in the appellation since 2010 across both the left bank Medoc Premiers Crus and the right bank Saint-Emilion and Pomerol appellations, a year of exceptional and unusual growing-condition balance that delivered simultaneous phenolic perfection to both the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant left bank blends and the Cabernet Franc and Merlot-dominant right bank compositions in a way that previous warm years had not achieved. The summer of 2015 was warm and sunny without the excessive heat that produces over-ripeness, the critical growing months of July and August delivering consistent moderate heat and sunshine with sufficient diurnal temperature variation to preserve natural acidity even as the fruit ripened to full phenolic maturity. The harvest of September and October 2015 was conducted under ideal dry conditions, the fruit at full maturity and phenolic perfection across the Saint-Emilion limestone plateau and the Medoc gravel banks simultaneously, a coincidence of perfect conditions across both terroir types that is exceptionally rare in the Bordeaux vineyard. Wine Spectator rated the 2015 Bordeaux vintage 100 Extraordinary and described it as the finest balanced Bordeaux vintage in a decade, noting that the combination of warmth, natural acidity, and phenolic perfection produced wines of exceptional immediate appeal alongside the structural authority for long aging.
About Chateau Ausone
Chateau Ausone is one of two Saint-Emilion properties classified as Premier Grand Cru Classe A (along with Cheval Blanc) in the Saint-Emilion appellation's classification system, a rank that reflects the estate's historical pre-eminence and the singular character of its 7-hectare vineyard on the limestone plateau and steep slopes above the town of Saint-Emilion, the most dramatic and topographically distinctive site in the appellation. The estate was led by Alain Vauthier until his death and then by his daughter Pauline Vauthier who took over as winemaker and estate director around 2012, implementing an approach that preserves the Vauthier family's commitment to absolute terroir expression through minimal intervention, very low yields from the old-vine Cabernet Franc and Merlot plantings, and aging in 100 percent new French oak for 18 to 20 months to provide the structural frame for a wine whose deep limestone and iron-clay terroir demands premium vessel aging to reach its fullest expression. The defining characteristic of Ausone in every vintage is the iron ore and dark earth minerality of the limestone plateau and chalky côtes soils that produces a mineral complexity unlike any other Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe and that requires the patience of a full peak arc to show its most complete and profound expression.
From the cellar: pair with
Roasted whole duck with Sarlat truffle stuffing, glazed turnips, and Perigueux sauce
The Ausone 2015's violet, black cherry, graphite, and dark earth minerality with the estate's iron ore terroir signature find their fullest right-bank expression alongside Perigord duck with truffle; the Perigueux sauce's truffle and Madeira dimensions bridge the wine's incense and dark mineral complexity directly, and the duck fat richness provides the textural luxury that Ausone's impeccably fine tannins integrate at peak year 6.
Roasted squab with foie gras and Cabernet Franc reduction, morel mushrooms, and truffle pomme puree
The 2015 Ausone's Cabernet Franc-dominant aromatic register of violet, rose hip, and black cherry achieves its canonical right-bank pairing in roasted squab; foie gras amplifies the wine's richness, Cabernet Franc reduction mirrors the primary grape variety directly, and morel mushrooms echo the dark earth and iron ore minerality at its most earthy expression.
Aged Iberico ham with melon and a sherry-glazed fig alongside manchego and walnut bread
At peak year 6, the generously expressive 2015 Ausone is structured enough to pair with the cured richness and salt intensity of aged Iberico ham; the sherry-glazed fig mirrors the wine's warm-vintage fruit generosity and melon provides the aromatic sweetness that bridges violet and rose hip florality with the ham's concentrated salt and fat complexity.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 62-65F (17-18C)
- Decanting
- Decant 45 to 60 minutes in 2026 at peak year 6. The Ausone 2015's violet, rose hip, black cherry, graphite, and iron ore aromatic complexity benefits from extended aeration that opens the full aromatic register and integrates the wine's impeccably fine tannin structure; the 2015 at peak year 6 is more immediately accessible than most Ausone at comparable peak stages but still shows its fullest expression after a substantial opening period. Serve in a standard Bordeaux glass at 62 to 65F.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
Frequently Asked
Is Chateau Ausone 2015 ready to drink in 2026?
Yes: the 2015 is 6 years into its peak arc in 2026, with 24 years of prime drinking remaining through 2050. The violet, rose hip, black cherry, graphite, iron ore, incense, and dark earth minerality are fully open and showing at the most generous and accessible expression Ausone delivers in its current published range. Decant 45 to 60 minutes and serve at 62 to 65F. See the [Bordeaux region guide](/wines/region/bordeaux) for 2015 vintage context across both right and left bank Premiers.
What makes Ausone different from other Saint-Emilion Premiers Grands Crus?
Ausone is one of only two Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates (alongside Cheval Blanc), a classification that reflects the uniqueness of its 7-hectare vineyard on the limestone plateau and steep côtes above Saint-Emilion town. The iron ore and dark earth minerality of the limestone and iron-clay terroir produces an aromatic complexity, a violet and incense character, and a mineral precision that is unlike any other Saint-Emilion expression; the wine is consistently more austere and mineral in its approach than the plushly fruited clay-soil expressions of Petrus and Le Pin. The 2015 is the most approachable and generously expressive recent vintage.
How does the 2015 Ausone compare to other vintages?
The 2015 is considered the most generously expressive and immediately approachable Ausone released in the decade from 2010 to 2020: the 2015 Bordeaux growing season's exceptional balance of warmth and natural acidity coaxed a level of violet, black cherry, and aromatic opulence from the estate's Cabernet Franc and Merlot that is unusual for an estate more associated with reserve and austerity. Other published Ausone vintages on cellared.ai (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2018) tend to show greater austerity at comparable peak stages; the 2015 is the entry point for those new to Ausone. See the [Bordeaux Blend varietal guide](/wines/varietal/bordeaux-blend) for right bank varietal context.
How long will Chateau Ausone 2015 age?
Peak runs through 2050 with hard decline after 2062, giving 24 years of prime drinking from 2026. The 2015's combination of exceptional vintage quality, the Ausone estate's consistently extraordinary longevity track record, and the wine's impeccably fine and long tannin structure give it one of the longest peak arcs of any currently published wine in the Bordeaux section of the cellared.ai catalogue. Multiple-bottle holders can drink from 2026 with confidence and pace consumption through the 2030s and 2040s, each bottle showing deepening mineral and tertiary complexity with additional aging.
What other Bordeaux Premiers complement the Ausone 2015?
The Chateau Haut-Brion 2000 published on cellared.ai offers a left bank Pessac-Leognan Premier comparison at late peak maturity, showing tobacco, graphite, and smoked earth versus Ausone's violet, iron ore, and dark earth character. The Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2008 and 2013 represent the Pauillac Premier Cru style for a full left-versus-right bank Bordeaux comparison. Within Saint-Emilion, Cheval Blanc represents the only other Premier Grand Cru Classe A comparison to Ausone from the same appellation.