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Larcis Ducasse 2022

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

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. The wines here are impressively concentrated in style. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Larcis-Ducasse

Label

Tasting Notes

One of the more muscular, concentrated 2022s in my tastings, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with serious aromatics of ripe red and black cherries, smoked tobacco, new leather, truffle, and an incredible sense of crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. I wouldn't be surprised to see this close down with 3-4 years of bottle age only to re-emerge after a decade. Based on 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, this modern-day legend has a terrific pH of 3.48 and an alcohol of 14.8%. 2037 - 2077

100
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2025

A fleshy, opulent wine, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse bursts with aromas of rich, creamy berry fruit mingled with aromas of licorice, bay leaf and spices. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's a textural, layered wine with a ripe core of fruit, supple tannins and an expansive finish. More dramatic and unabashed than the 2020, this will appeal to readers who place a premium on flamboyant extravagance; but samples tasted later during my visit to Bordeaux exhibited greater freshness and precision.

94/95
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (266), April 2023

The 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a very delineated, focused bouquet with blackberry, graphite, hint of freshly shaved black truffle and light granitic scents that emerge with time. Of all the recent vintages, this is perhaps one that leans a little toward Pomerol in style, maybe due to the expressive Cabernet Franc (14%). The palate is medium-bodied with finely embroidered tannins, a perfect line of acidity, superb focus and gentle grip. Having tasted at this property for over two decades, this is the finest Larcis Ducasse to date—a modern-day benchmark for the estate. 2030 - 2065

96
Neal Martin, vinous.com, February 2025

Less super-ripe than was sometimes the case in the past, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a completely seductive bouquet of cassis, mulberries, licorice, pencil lead and menthol, combining beautiful spices and dark berries. Medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's seamless and concentrated with a multidimensional core of fruit, velvety tannins, a vibrant mid-palate and a long, saline finish. 2028 - 2042

95+
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate, March 2025

Larcis Ducasse is undergoing something of a transformation, slowly moving towards a more refreshing style. Slightly reductive on the nose, there is bright fruit here but it sits underneath a sweet, lightly candied note. The palate is sweet and slightly jammy, but energetic and driven. Iron-like depth, smoky and chewy, there is extract and grip on the back end that is lightly drying. Despite this, there is an admirable shift happening here, the wine improving with each vintage.

92/94
Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 2023

This is really precise with a lazer-guided fine tannin structure throughout the wine, and juicy and electric texture. It’s so refined and polished. Endless. Wonderful young wine with a terrific future.

98/99
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2023

A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color. It wows as it powers out of the glass with bright, expressive notes of juicy blackberries, fresh black cherries, and warm plums, followed by suggestions of Indian spices, iron ore, iris bulb, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is laden with rich, seductive, and amazingly energetic black and blue fruits, framed by super-ripe, velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with epic length. This 2022 is a triumph!

97/99
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2023

Vivid damson plum colour, medium to full intensity, toasted pine nuts and liquorice on the opening beats, still firm tannins and a ton of wet stone-tinged tannins, slate, pumice stone, texture and slow progression through the palate. Smoked caramel and cocoa bean add luscious sense of joy. This is a beautiful wine. Owner Matieu Cuvelier.

96
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, March 2025
Read more tasting notes...

The 2022 Larcis Ducasse was picked 13 to 23 September at 34hL/ha. This has quite a rich bouquet with opulent black cherries, boysenberry and blue fruit, vanilla extract and truffle scents. Two samples tasted, the one at the château showing more precision. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannins, its flesh belying the structure underneath. Liquorice lingers after the wine has departed. The mineralité floods the finish and articulates its limestone soils with aplomb. This is a seriously fine Larcis Ducasse that exudes panache. 2030-2065

95/97
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2023

You feel the fingerprint of the limestone here, from a team that is never afraid of austerity in a young wine is young. It opens to show creamy black and red fruits, with steely acidity that keeps the ripeness in check. 34hl/h yield, 50% new oak and for the rest 500l casks for ageing.

96
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, May 2023

Tasted on multiple occasions and one of the legendary wines in the making from this vintage, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse clocks in as 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc that's still resting in 55% new French oak. A hypothetical blend of the 2005 and 2018, it's a deep, powerful, opulent Saint-Emilion offering an incredible array of black cherries, blackberries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With a rich, full-bodied, expansive mouthfeel, it has ultra-fine tannins, beautiful symmetry in its tannins, acidity, and fruit, no hard edges, and a killer finish. I was lucky enough to taste this on four separate occasions and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine every time.

98/100
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, May 2023
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.