Ausone is the smallest of the great Bordeaux estates — barely seven hectares — cut into the limestone escarpment at the edge of Saint-Émilion, with its cellars carved out of the rock directly beneath the vines. It holds Premier Grand Cru Classé A rank, and it has always made a tighter, more austere wine than the Merlot-heavy norm of the appellation, thanks to a high proportion of Cabernet Franc and a cool, steep site.
In 1982 the wine was made by Pascal Delbeck for the Dubois-Challon and Vauthier families, a decade before the changes that transformed the estate's standing in the nineties. The heat of that year suited the Médoc better than it suited Ausone, and this has always been the quieter member of the famous vintage: reserved, mineral, slow to give anything away, and long-lived for exactly those reasons.
Scarcity is the real story. Ausone makes a fraction of what a first growth makes, and intact bottles from the early eighties rarely come up.
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Producer: Château Ausone
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Vintage: 1982
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Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. Ausone's structure means this should still be firm rather than faded, but it is a reticent wine that needs air and, as a pre-1990 bottle, is sold as a collectible item without a guarantee of drinkability.
Who it suits. For a forty-fourth birthday or anniversary in 2026 where the recipient collects, the rarity of Ausone counts for more than the noise around the vintage.
Condition. The merchant notes the label as slightly damaged — marking or scuffing from long cellar storage — which is cosmetic and common on bottles kept in damp conditions, as good cellars are.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
