Larcis Ducasse 2016

The aromas here are so spellbinding with shitake mushrooms, wet earth and moss, as well as tree bark and, finally, dark fruit. The palate is incredible as it builds and grows with full body, but always tight and reserved. It shows so much depth and complexity. Please try not to touch this until 2025.

The 2016 Larcis-Ducasse has a very well-defined bouquet of blackberry, briar and light violet aromas that seem to convey more energy than Pavie-Macquin. The medium-bodied palate delivers rounded, juicy tannins that frame the concentrated tarry black fruit. But maybe like Pavie-Macquin, this is just missing a little tension and detail on the finish that will be restored with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2022 - 2050

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Larcis Ducasse sashays gracefully out of the glass with beautiful Black Forest cake, red cherry compote, raspberry preserves and blackberry pie scents plus hints of cigar box, Ceylon tea, dried lavender and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers gorgeous red and black fruit preserves flavors with a wonderfully plush texture and very long, perfumed finish. 2021 - 2049

This is ripe and well extracted, tight, firm and a little austere, with a note of bitter dark chocolate. It's fresh on the finish, benefitting from its location on the limestone plateau with deeper clay cover in parts of the vineyard, hence the high 95% level of Merlot. This is complemented by 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon with a yield of 48hl/ha, representing 47% of overall production in 2016.

Very floral and sumptuous on the nose. Rich and round and perfumed. Lots of juice and appeal. Interesting! A hint of sweet leather. Grown-up wine.
Drink 2025-2040

This 10 hectare property is situated close to Pavie on the best south-facing slope in Saint Emilion. In 2002, Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt of neighbouring Pavie Macquin, took control of both the vineyard and the winemaking and the wines here of become rather concentrated and inky in style. Around 83% Merlot with the rest Cabernet Franc. This year the blend is 87% Merlot, with 13% Cabernet Franc. A deep, glass-staining colour. The nose is heady and rich - tar, damsons and bonfire all compete for attention. The palate is dense, initially sweet and plummy in character, and then building to powerful, coarse tannins that overwhelm the palate at this stage. Notes of raisins, plum jam and wood smoke carry through to an intense, drying finish.

From one of my favorite estates in Bordeaux, the deeply colored 2016 Château Larcis Ducasse is comprised of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 50% new French oak. It offers a huge bouquet of black, black fruits, smoked herbs, forest floor, graphite, and underbrush that builds beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, opulent and expansive on the palate, with building tannins, it’s a rich, layered Saint-Emilion as well as another incredible wine from this estate. Give it a few years if you can. It’s capable of keeping for three decades or more. Drink 2019-2049.