The warm summer growing season added a lot to this wine. On the nose you find a blend of oyster shell, black cherries, plums, licorice, herbs and wet earth. The medium-bodied wine continues its theme on the soft, round textured palate, leaving you with sensations of ripe fruits, chalky tannins, earthy, herb, leaf and cherries. This is in a great place today for current consumption. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=1989&wine=Chateau%20Ausone

The 1989 Ausone is a good but not great wine, certainly one that ought to have been far better given the benevolent growing season. The nose is well defined with dark berry fruit, mocha, leather and undergrowth scents, fully matured but nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly better acidity and more freshness than the 1990. The tannins feel rather rugged -certainly an Ausone that needs to look up the word "finesse" in the dictionary, yet there is good substance and an agreeable pencil lead tinged finish. What is it missing? Just a sense of personality. Tasted at the Ausone vertical in London. - By Neal Martin on February 2018

More Burgundian than Bordeaux in color and density, but delivers pretty berry, tobacco and leather character. Medium-bodied, round and silky, with plenty of opulent fruit. This needs drinking. -- '89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now.