Château Ausone
Saint-Émilion, Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
One of the last family-owned Bordeaux estates of fame. Managing Director Alain Vauthier on Chateau Ausone:
In the past 25 years across the entire world there has been an elevation in the quality of wine, including in Saint-Émilion. It has been a very, very fertile region with small properties and light infrastructure, which has allowed for rapid adaptations. Traditionally here, the winery owner was also the farmer, the winemaker and the sales person—someone involved with everything.
The administration may be slightly revised, because today adhering to regulatory requirements is more and more import- ant for all winemakers, and such administration requires more personnel. To improve wine quality, we change some details according to the vintage to make improvements, but the terroir will not change, even though the climate may change—but very slowly. Ausone will remain Ausone with its style. Idon’t see how the hand of humans can change terroir—that would be difficult. Terroir is the conjunction of wind currents, sunshine and stability of soils linked to hydrology. I don’t see how we could change it.
Of course, the future will be different, but it cannot be very much different because the terroir will remain the same. With a family-owned Premier Grand Cru Classé estate like Ausone there is momentum with the operating plan. Nowadays we har- vest the benefits of the past 40 years ofdecisions and work. It’s a very long-term process with a lot of momentum. It’s life with vines. A cellar and sales can be rapidly changed and adapted, but the vines take one or two generations. I am involved with Ausone vines that were planted in 1906 by my grandfather. Vines are long term.
Source: forbes.com