Few estates in Bordeaux command the prestige, mystique, and reverence of Château Ausone. With a history dating back over 400 years, this legendary Saint-Émilion estate stands apart—not just for its tiny production and exclusive status, but for the uncompromising quality and longevity of its wines. Unlike many of its peers, Ausone has never expanded, never commercialized, and never followed trends—instead, it remains a symbol of precision, tradition, and terroir-driven winemaking.
Perched on the steep limestone slopes of Saint-Émilion, Château Ausone is blessed with one of the greatest terroirs in Bordeaux. The estate covers just 7 hectares, making it one of the smallest and rarest Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates. The unique limestone and clay soils provide exceptional drainage and temperature regulation, ensuring that each vintage expresses depth, structure, and remarkable freshness.
The vineyard is planted with roughly 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot, a high proportion of Cabernet Franc compared to most Saint-Émilion estates. This gives Ausone its signature profile—intense aromatics, silky tannins, and immense aging potential. Many of the vines are over a century old, further concentrating the power and depth of the wines.
Ownership has remained within the same family for centuries, ensuring a meticulous, unwavering approach to quality. The Vauthier family, who have stewarded Ausone for generations, maintain an approach that is both traditional and exacting—hand-harvesting every grape, vinifying in small oak vats, and aging the wines in 100% new French oak. The result is a wine that is as much an expression of terroir as it is of craftsmanship.
With extremely limited production and an almost mythical reputation, Château Ausone stands among the most collectible and age-worthy wines of Bordeaux. It is a wine built for the long haul, often requiring decades to reach its peak, rewarding patience with extraordinary complexity, balance, and finesse.
