Château Ausone perches above the medieval village of Saint-Émilion on a limestone plateau that has been planted with vines for at least 1,700 years.

The estate takes its name from Decimius Magnus Ausonius, a fourth-century poet and statesman who wrote lovingly about these vine-clad hills and whose parents-in-law hailed from the town below. Roman villa remains have been found at the foot of the slopes, though whether Ausonius himself once stood here surveying his vines remains a pleasantly unresolved question.

What is not in question is the wine's standing. Ausone produces around 2,000 cases a year from just seven hectares, making it among the rarest and most expensive wines in Bordeaux. Cabernet Franc vines over a century old still contribute to each vintage.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace the deep connection between this hilltop estate and its Roman past, following the stone column bearing Ausonius's name to reveal how a fourth-century poet's reputation has shaped one of the world's most coveted wine addresses.