Our tasting of the Nicolas Thienpont wines with his son, Cyril at the beautifully situated Pavie Macquin was a real treat. Larcis Ducasse, Pavie Macquin and Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse all possess great terroir; sometimes we find the wines are a bit over the top and lack energy - this certainly wasn't the case in 2015. Larcis, based on the limestone and clay plateau and Cote next to Chateau Pavie is like opening up a box of chocolate liqueurs. Aromas of griotte, incense, hedgerow fruit and sloe all leap from the glass. There is also the tell-tale Larcis minerality; liquid minerals and graphite. The palate is crisp and fresh with lots of cassis and strawberry notes. There is tremendous energy, zip and finesse to balance the impressive fruit content. This is the smartest Larcis we've seen in many years. 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc.