Chapelle d'Ausone 2024

Medium ruby with a lightened rim; intense, delicate, complex nose, violets and cherry blossom over blackberries and a touch of cassis; elegant palate that builds, showing a solid structure, silky tannins, racy acidity, precise, with finesse and harmony; finishes saline on blood orange and redcurrant. Will be seductive even in its youth.

Lovely fragrance on the nose, so aromatic and expressive. Deep and nuanced with bright red berries, some blackcurrant leaf and violet touches. Structured and forward, this is lovely, a firm texture with hints of both chalkiness and fleshiness. Cool and fresh straight away with juiciness but really the stars here are the structure and gentle power pushing the wine forward. A different style but still just as juicy as the others. A little compact still but no doubt this will be a fine wine with delicious mineral undercurrents and some wet stones touches on the finish. Smart and sophisticated. A yield of 33hl/ha. 20% second wine. 3.5pH. Ageing 100% new oak. No Merlot in the blend this year.

85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Crimson with a lighter rim. Not a drop of Merlot. Floral and dark-fruit notes. Structured with fine tannins but a rather cutting acidity as well. A bit wayward. Could improve if the mid palate fills out. (JL)

Score: 91–93. An opulent, delightful nose of blue fruits. On the palate, the structure is fine, linear, and taut, coursed through by piercing energy. Everything glides with silky fluidity before concluding on a saline finish.

(100% Cabernet Franc) Lovely fruity, fresh, floral nose with a precise brightness to the fruit. Notes of pulpy/juicy red cherry, violet and, more subtly, vibrant/juicy purple plum, joined by touches of bright small berries, bright redcurrant, as well as hints of blueberry and vanilla. The palate is beautifully juicy and fruity, offering minerality, a fresh backbone, tangy lift, a certain indulgence, brightness and fine definition. On the palate, the wine shows notes of bright redcurrant, vibrant blackcurrant and, more subtly, blueberry, with touches of juicy/pulpy blackcurrant, hints of bergamot, a touch of cherry stem, lilac, and a subtle almost iodine note in the background. The tannins are precise, elegant, polished and gourmand. Good length. Freshness, suppleness, straightness, minerality, fine definition and a fresh/tangy structure.