2000 Chateau Ausone Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Robert Parker 98+

Two bottles were badly corked, which is certainly a scary situation for a wine where only 1,000 or so cases were produced. However, a third bottle was magical and just short of perfection. Its saturated purple color was followed by a surprisingly more evolved and open wine than I had written in my tasting note in 2003, where I predicted maturity between 2020 and 2075. This wine displays wonderful, sweet tannin and a big, sweet kiss of truffle, crushed rock, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. Extremely rich, full-bodied, with astonishing power, precision, and delicacy, this is a sumptuous wine that should age well for 50-60 years, but in the case of the one bottle out of three that was not corked, it seemed far more evolved and forward than I suggested in my write-up in 2003. [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 29/06/2010]

Vinous 97+

Bright ruby-red. Profound nose melds raspberry, black cherry, mocha and minerals. Wonderfully silky and spherical, with monumental solidity and yet incredible inner-mouth perfume. This builds and builds toward the back, finishing with big but suave tannins and extraordinary minerally length. One of the two or three greatest wines I tasted on my spring trip to the Bordeaux region. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/2003]