In the 1960s and 1970s, two families fought over the estate, the Dubois-Chalon and the Vauthier families, particularly over how to run the vineyard and vinifications. Alain Vauthier finally took over the reins in 1995, and from 1998 onwards, Château Ausone regained its place among the most prestigious wines of Bordeaux.
In the first edition of the Saint-Émilion classification in 1955, Château Ausone achieved the privileged position of Premier Grand Cru Classé "A". It retained this distinction up to and including the 2021 vintage. At the beginning of 2022, Domaine chose to withdraw from the classification, the next edition of which was due to be made official in September of the same year. Thus, from the 2022 vintage, the label of Château Ausone will mention only the appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.
The Château Ausone is located on a 7-hectare south-facing vineyard mid-slope of the Saint-Émilion hillside, on limestone soils covered with a superficial layer of gravel. The grape varieties are 55% Cabernet franc and 45% Merlot. The wines are aged for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% of which are new.
The estate produces a Second wine, La Chapelle d'Ausone, whose quality is very close and very faithful to its elder.
The Château Ausone does not demerit its reputation whatever the vintage. Production remains low, at barely 20,000 bottles a year, but the signature of its exceptional terroir is always present: aromatic richness, velvety tannins, finesse and generosity.
