Château Larcis Ducasse 2024

Brilliant ruby color with great aromatic complexity: subtle toasted notes, cool expression, floral tones, coriander seed, clearly mineral-driven, with great depth. The palate opens creamy, then the wine becomes sleeker while building intensity, with fine texture and delicate, perfectly ripe fruit. The tannins carry the wine from start to finish, always present yet never dominating. Very long, red-fruited finish. A wine of dancing elegance with a very long finish. An outstanding success, among the best the Right Bank has produced this year.

Deep, intense nose, dark fruits and lots of concentrated aromas of flowers and bramble berries. Lovely weight and texture straight away, velvety smooth, round and filling with a certain density of blackcurrant and cherry fruit. Creamy, a touch sweet as well as chalky. You can feel the minerality – liquorice, graphite – but with flesh and some push. Cool and classic, there’s a definite charm yet it still has structure and underlying power. Delivered with poise. Great definition with good ageing potential. A yield of 41 hl/ha at harvest, then after sorting and selection 26 hl/ha. pH 3.55

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Subtle on the nose – red-berry and terroir notes. Smooth and polished on the attack. Fruit very present on the mid-palate and finely honed tannins. Silky texture. Juicy, fresh and long on the finish. Balanced and harmonious. (JL)

Flowers, black raspberries, licorice, and a tiny hint of espresso create the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, mineral-driven cherries, red plums, cocoa, and spices provide an upbeat, vibrant, refined wine with a refreshing touch of salty mints that comes in at the back of the long finish. There is purity, length, and energy in the finish that you easily sense as it lingers. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc. 13.4% ABV. Drink from 2028-2045. 93-95 Pts

All finesse and silkiness, gentle and contemplative, the nose evokes a stroll down a flower-lined path at dusk, with notes of velvety rose petals, fresh fruit and vineyard peach. Equally gentle on the palate—refined and juicy—the texture proves seductive and caressing, with notes of perfectly ripe red fruits. A delight.

Good grip, plenty of character and depth through the palate, freshly cut herbs, blueberry and blackcurrant, savoury with floral character. Harvest 24 September to 7 October. 50% new oak, Gratiot-Atimane family.

The bouquet of Larcis Ducasse reveals itself with serenity and even nobility. From the outset, it shows depth and subtlety in a very structured way. Inviting nuances of elderflower, red berries, pepper, cocoa beans, earthy notes and, finally, mint. On the palate, the wine benefits from the precious support of its tannins, which emerge slowly and late, steadily gaining in intensity and precision. For once, being late helps put you out in front! This is precisely where they connect with the incisive edge of the acidity. It not only lends them support, but also paves the way for freshness and delicate bitters that reinforce the expression and persistence of the finish. A wine that claims a right of reserve—showing only part of its abilities, confident that there is already more than enough to rank it among Bordeaux’s very greatest wines. A dense Larcis Ducasse whose fine-grained tannins will carry it into the 2024 Hall of Fame. It shines through its subtlety, its serenity, and its ability to be powerful without showmanship. Being Larcis-Ducasse is more than enough.

Deep, dark, beautiful colour. Very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Lovely blackberry note. Delicate on the attack and flavoursome through the mid-palate, the wine caresses the palate, continuously scented, leading to a lovely, lingering finish with no marked tannins. Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol content: 13.5%. Yield: 41 hl/ha.