One of the best second wines I have ever tasted, the 2003 Chapelle d’Ausone is rivaled by the 2003 Carruades de Lafite and 2003 Forts de Latour. Dense ruby/purple to the rim with an extraordinary nose of flowers, figs, black raspberries, blueberries, and sweet cherries along with striking minerality and precision, this exquisite second wine represents the essence of Ausone. It should drink well for 25+ years. No one in Bordeaux has made greater progress in taming the extraordinary potential of this noble terroir than Alain Vauthier, an obsessed perfectionist if there ever was one. He has instituted a Draconian selection at this tiny estate, both in the vineyard and the cellar, and the second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone, has also become one of the region’s finest wines. Prospective purchasers should be aware that Ausone requires 10-20 years of cellaring before it approaches maturity.

Deep ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose combines cassis, blackberry, minerals, violet and licorice. Sweet, chewy and generous, with excellent depth of flavor framed by ripe acids. Notes of bitter chocolate, violet and licorice. The wine's very firm acids combine with its big, toothdusting tannins to give the finish a youthful toughness. But this should be a terrific second wine.

Deep purple. Rich, plum pudding notes. Elderberries on the nose. Lots of juiciness and quite marked acidity. A little skinny. Fine and elegant – absolutely not rustic. (JR)