critic reviews
The 2019 Larcis Ducasse, a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of redcurrant jelly, blackberry preserves, and black raspberries leap from the glass, followed by hints of licorice and pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is laden with muscular, savory-laced fruits, supported by grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
The 2019 Larcis-Ducasse is classically-styled on the nose with tobacco and cedar infusing the black fruit, a little austere at first, yet there is a sense of stature. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, slightly candied in style but there is commendable structure behind this Saint-Émilion with a dash of black pepper on the finish. Exquisite. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
The 2019 Larcis Ducasse has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, burning embers, spices and licorice. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, it's a giving, generous wine that's softer and rounder than Pavie Macquin, its stablemate. This beautiful vineyard, managed by Nicolas Thienpont, is located on the limestone slopes of Saint-Emilion, sandwiched between Pavie and Bellefont-Belcier.
Extreme in all the right ways - in the verticality, the salinity, the density, the forward motion and the stretching out through the palate. But it is also mouthwatering and drinkable, with a ton of blueberry and raspberry puree fruits alongside still austere tannins. Love it. Owned by the Gratiot-Attmane family, made by the Nicolas Thienpont team. 38.5hl/ha yield.