Shifting gears at Ch. Haut-Simard
When you visit Ch. Ausone to taste en primeur, you’ll find an array of wines to taste. The Vauthier family might be lauded for their top Saint-Emilion, but they own a handful of properties across the Right Bank – and you have to taste them all to make your way to their top drop.
Many of these wines have always been good, very good, even, but in the haze of en primeur it can feel like a duty to work through them to taste Ausone – which is undeniably of a different class. But, in recent years, one wine has changed significantly, surprising at these tastings: Ch. Haut-Simard. I spent some time with Edouard Vauthier talking about the history of the property and the work they’ve done in recent years – changes that have transformed the wine produced, and made it one of the region’s best buys.
