Larcis Ducasse 2019 (750ML)

98-99 JS / 95-97+ WA / 95-97 VM / 95-97 JD

A full-bodied red that’s powerful, very rich and very deep. Floral and spicy with dried fruit, earth, tobacco and mushrooms. Dense center palate. Great depth. Traditional. - James Suckling

Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Larcis Ducasse was harvested from the 25th of September to the 7th of October. Yields were 38.5 hectoliters per hectare this year, with around 70% of production going into the grand vin. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sails out of the glass with effortlessly graceful notes of fresh blackberries, warm red and black plums and mulberries plus hints of cedar chest, potpourri, powdered cinnamon and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is quite tightly wound, giving glimpses of spice and mineral layers among the black fruits and firm, rounded tannins, finishing with bags of freshness and energy. About 2,850 cases are anticipated to be made. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

The 2019 Larcis Ducasse is deep purple in colour. The bouquet is opulent and ravishing with precocious dark cherry, cassis and crushed violet aromas that seem to envelop the senses, "hug them into submissions!" The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that manage to exert good grip, though you only notice that after the wine has exited. Great depth, touches of ash and black pepper infusing the black fruit with unerring balance on the finish. This is an outstanding Saint-Émilion with 30-40 years of pleasure to give. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Coming from an incredible terroir on the Côte Pavie, which is a south-facing hillside of clay and limestone soils, the 2019 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep purple color as well as classic Saint-Emilion minerality in its chocolatey dark fruits, scorched earth, camphor, and tobacco aromas and flavors. This rich, full-bodied effort shows the more elegant, supple style of the vintage, yet it still has building tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It's certainly in the same ballpark as the 2015 and 2016, and while a few years of bottle age will do it well, it should be relatively accessible in its youth. - Jeb Dunnuck