The second wine of Château Ausone, this is a great bottling in its own right. Powerful tannins merge into equally fine black fruits. The tannins and a complex mix between ripe fruit, acidity and spice go together into an impressive wine for aging. Drink from 2027.

Starting with the second wine of Ausone, the 2015 Chapelle d'Ausone checks in as roughly 45% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a screaming good wine offering notes of black raspberries, licorice, smoked earth, and exotic flowers. With fabulous opulence, full-bodied richness, ripe tannin, and a stacked mid-palate, it’s a serious wine that will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades.

(JL93-95 points) With 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, it is easy to find floral notes, licorice, black cherry, vanilla and spicy tones. Richly textured with density in the mouth, silky tannins and a sweet blast of ripe, polished fruits that show up in the end note.

Gorgeous perfumes of lavender, roses, currants, blackberries and violets follow through to a full body, and soft and round, beautifully textured tannins. Alluring and inviting to drink now. Beautiful length. Very open and savory for the second wine of Ausone.

A second label produced mainly from the younger vines at Château Ausone, the 2015 Chapelle d'Ausone is a blend of 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French oak barrels, 85% new, for 20 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it appears broody to begin, offering glimpses at black berry preserves and crème de cassis notions with nuances of cigar box, Chinese five spice, menthol and chocolate box. Full-bodied, firm and grainy with a taut structure and packed with youthful, muscular fruit, it finishes on a compelling mineral note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown