The Wine Palate über:
Chateau Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classe A
-- The Wine Palate: Expressive, Fragrant, Black Fruit, Roses, Licorice, Forest Floor, Medium to Full bodied, Refreshing Acidity, Subtle Oak, Grainy Texture, High Tannin, Youthful. The 2005 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it needs a lot of swirling to coax out the most evocative perfume of Morello cherries, raspberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, and red roses with hints of aniseed, forest floor, truffles, and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a very firm, grainy texture and an incredibly lively backbone. So, so beautifully perfumed, it finishes incredibly long and mineral-laced. This undoubtedly already offers a WOW experience, but I would give it another 3-5 years in bottle to truly let that perfume emerge, then drink it over the following 30-40-years+.