Why it matters
The producer
Château d’Ausone takes its name from Decimius Magnus Ausonius, a Roman statesman and poet from Bordeaux who owned about 100 acres of vineyard. Alain Vauthier worked as the estate's winemaker from 1976 and later took control after a long court battle with the other half of the family.
Pauline Vauthier, Alain's daughter, is increasingly involved in management and wine production. Blending is handled in house by Alain Vauthier, Pauline Vauthier, and cellar master Philippe Baillarguet.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The estate is in the Saint-Émilion appellation. Some accounts place Château d’Ausone on the foundations of Ausonius's former villa, linking the property's name to a Roman vineyard owner from Bordeaux.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range consists of a grand vin and Chapelle d’Ausone, the estate's second wine. Annual production of both wines averages little more than 2,000 cases, keeping the range small and clearly divided between the principal wine and its secondary bottling.