The 1982 Ausone is a wine that I have tasted three or four times before, always a good but perhaps not great expression of the vintage, since it would be a good few years before Alain Vauthier could improve the winemaking. At 36 years of age it is showing quite wide bricking on the rim. The bouquet is generous though not as profound as say, Cheval Blanc, quite savoury in style, dark chocolate, meat juices and dried blood. It is pleasurable but just lacks some vigour. The palate is medium-bodied with soft tannin, ne depth and a sweet core of degraded fruit. I have always felt this is a loose-knit Ausone, lacking the backbone of a great wine, although I appreciate the tobacco and mocha-tinged nish. Drink now and over the next decade. Tasted at the Ausone vertical in London