Wild aromas of mint, spearmint, cool chalk and dark fruits. Full-bodied, tight, linear and incredibly long with a evening-stone, blueberry, cherry and mineral undertone. Crisp and extremely persistent. Iodine and oyster shell here to round it all off. Better in 2018. – jamessuckling.com, Feb 2015

One can’t say enough about the amazing job that Alain Vauthier and his daughter have done at this historic property on the decomposed limestone slopes of St.-Emilion. Not surprisingly, the 2012 Ausone is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage. Inky purple in color, with notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers and blueberry and black raspberry, the wine grows on the palate, offering up amazing concentration. There is no heaviness or cloying characteristics. Pure, rich, full-bodied and, although accessible, it is capable of lasting 30 or more years. This will be one of the profound 2012s, following what Haut Brion and Mission Haut Brion did in Pessac-Léognan. Drink it 2022-2050+. 96+ points – Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #218, April 2015)

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scents—very floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier. Tasted January 2016. Drink 2022 - 2050.

– Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com, Oct 2016

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2012 Ausone boasts gorgeous depth, aromatic intensity and overall balance. Dark red stone fruits, menthol, licorice, smoke and savory herbs flesh out as this layered, seductive Saint-Emilion shows off its pure pedigree and class. Further time in bottle should allow the 2012 to flesh out even more, but it is pretty special today. I remember tasting the 2012 straight from barrel with Alain Vauthier in the spring of 2013. The bottled, finished wine is every bit as special. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot.

[55CF/45M] Fresh and minerally to smell, subtly oaky, fragrant; very nicely balanced, elegant wine with a moderate concentraton, a fresh acidity and a well conceived gentle tannin; a deliciously sweet, slender, refined core fruit, long, close grained, refined, subtle and persistent. Not a grand Ausone, and only moderately extracted, but a beauty all the same. 2022-40+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

Very distinctive, baked earth nose gives way to a massively sweet, concentrated palate. The acidity and tannins are beautifully masked by ripeness and delightfully there is no sign of the unwelcome greenness which has attacked so many wines in this vintage. Fans of the most elegant, restrained clarets will find this extremely enjoyable.

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Pungent with a hint of char on the nose. Sweet start and lots of juice. Then something a little green on the end. Shame because it was all going rather well. Drink: 2021--2024 – jancisrobinson.com, Jan 2016