A ton of spice on the opening beats, focused on cloves, black pepper, Sichuan pepper, raspberry leaf, oyster shell and crushed rocks. A little austere, still closed down at this stage, but with exceptional verticality and careful architecture on display. 34hl/h yield, 65% 1st wine a little less than usual, 50% new oak. Harvest September 29 to October 11.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 Larcis Ducasse opens with delicate scents of wild blueberries and Morello cherries, leading to notions of star anise, lilacs and tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and well balanced with bright fruit and a fragrant finish.

The 2021 Larcis Ducasse has a more restrained bouquet compared to recent vintages, showing black plum, blackcurrant, vanilla pod and violet scents. There's opulence here, but it's compressed. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, a bit angular at first with cola and brown spices. Linear toward the finish with fine sustain, it doesn't quite have the caliber of say, the La Gaffelière and its ilk, but it should give 15+ years of drinking pleasure.