Larcis Ducasse 2015 (750ML)

99 JS / 97 VM / 97 WCI / 96 JD / 96 WI  / 95 WS / 95 DE / 94 WA / 96-98 GV / 17.5 JR

#81 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2018

The aromas to this are phenomenal with oyster shell, blackberries, iodine and black truffles. Full-bodied, layered and so refined and intense. Love the texture and intensity. Chalky. Amazing. Goes on for minutes. Try in 2023. - James Suckling

The 2015 Larcis Ducasse is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Rose petal, lavender, spice and mint give it an attractive upper register that melds seamlessly into a core of inky red and purplish fruit. Dense, powerful and overt, the 2015 also has quite a bit of freshness to liven up the flavors. Silky tannins and soft contours add to the wine's racy, sensual personality. The 2015 is going to be virtually impossible to resist in its youth. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Smoke, tobacco, crushed stone, dark red fruits and wet earth are all over the place. The wine is full bodied, intense, concentrated and richly textured. There is a beautiful sensation of minerality and ripe fruits at work here. But at least 10 years are needed for this to get where it needs to be.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

A more elegant, finesse-driven style of cuvee than normal, the 2015 Château Larcis-Ducasse is comprised of close to 90% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc. It reveals a terrific bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, cedary spice and forest floor, with more graphite and lead pencil nuances developing as it sat in the glass. With full-bodied richness, a tight, backward, yet promising style on the palate, beautiful tannin quality, and a great finish, it’s an undeniably classy, balanced 2015 that will reward 2-4 years of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck

Composed of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Larcis Ducasse is deep garnet colored. The nose is a little shy and grumpy to start off, offering glimpses at tar, damp soil, truffles, burnt rubber, and smoked meats notes, before going full peacock and revealing gregarious notes of kirsch, juicy black plums, wild blueberries, and violets, followed by a waft of star anise. The full-bodied palate explodes with bright, opulent red, black, and blue fruit layers, showing off this vineyard's remarkable tension and very fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and very fragrant. Enjoy it now, after decanting a good 2-3 hours previously, or forget it in the cellar for another 6-8 years and drink it over the next 25 years+.-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

This nearly gushes with succulent plum, blackberry and black currant preserve flavors, but they stay on the racy and refined side overall, flecked with anise, Lapsang souchong tea and violet notes. A lovely chalky spine controls the finish with a deft hand. Best from 2020 through 2035 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

This is absolute proof that I can love a rich, bristling St-Émilion when it is in balance. An excellently located Nicolas Thienpont-run estate, it clearly shows the potential of a property that has not always got it right. It has lots of power, coiled and ready to spring, but there is an austerity and salinity that pays you back for the punch. Very good, will age superbly. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040. - Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2015 Larcis Ducasse has a tightly wound bouquet with blackberry, cedar and tobacco aromas that take time to find their voice. This is far more introverted than older vintages, more cerebral. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp acidity, lithe in the mouth with a strict and quite linear, tertiary finish. It just needs a little more expression but that will hopefully come with time. This is a long-term Larcis-Ducasse that is going to bide its time, but there is nothing wrong with that.-Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

Great mineral flavors with lots of structure and the supporting acidity. Excellent depth here with a very fine but firm tannins. GVWM

Deep crimson. Rich, dark but withheld on the nose and a lovely rocky dry impression. A little more fragrant with air. Juicy and fresh, finely structured and already in harmony if not (yet) approachable. Elegant length.-Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson