Château Ausone
My first ever visit to Château Ausone was during the primeurs week, those few hectic days in early April which sees Bordeaux turn from a scene of bucolic viticultural harmony (believe it or not Bordeaux can look this way sometimes) to one more akin to a travelling circus, albeit one in which everybody is travelling in different directions. After several days visiting the leading lights of the Médoc communes, taking in the premier cru classé grandeur of Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion and the like, Château Ausone provided a very different experience.
Approaching St Emilion from the south, on the D122, the château sits on the edge of the limestone plateau, looking down on you as you approach the town. It is reached by turning just before the road climbs through St Emilion itself; miss the turn and you will soon be lost in its granite-cobbled streets and perhaps – and this is an even worse fate – you may become embroiled in the town’s one-way system, the aim of which seems to be to deliver unsuspecting visitors to the gates of Angélus. The road up to Château Ausone ascends quite steeply and is very narrow, with one or two very tight turns. To your left there is nothing more than a low stone wall and, although there is only a short drop to the vines below, with the necessary manoeuvres around these tight bends it can feel as though you are on the edge of a precipice. But hold steady, and continue on, because before you know it you will find yourself at the entrance to the château.
