Château Larcis Ducasse 2017

Full-bodied attack, dense structure, fresh, tannins with a noticeable grain, fairly long finish, noticeable alcohol, yet well kept in check by the acidity.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Larcis Ducasse (a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc) has a very enticing nose of kirsch, warm blackberries, baked plums and wild blueberries with hints of pencil lead, tar, tilled soil and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly knit with great poise and subtlety, offering bright, energetic fruit and loads of minerally sparks, finishing with great length.

Refined and focused, with a core of gently mulled plum and dark cherry fruit flavors, laced with rooibos tea, incense and red licorice notes. Shows a light bramble hint through the finish. Stylish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,000 cases made.

This is an excellent wine, tasted both here in London and also in Bordeaux during a vertical of the estate. A mouthwatering salinity is clear through the mid-palate and on the finish, drawing out the length of the wine, and throughout there is a seductive push and pull between austere minerality and powerfully fleshy black fruits. This is worth taking notice of.

This is a wine that is showing lots of structure with tightly wound tannins that spin through the center palate. Full-bodied, intense and beautiful. Pure and real. Drink after 2025.

The 2017 Larcis Ducasse is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Pliant and deep, with terrific fruit purity, Larcis possesses striking fruit purity and tons of resonance. Red cherry, blood orange, pomegranate, mint, spice, licorice and mocha infuse the 2017 with striking complexity as well as nuance. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this gem. Larcis is never one of the most obvious wines in Saint-Émilion, but it is often among the most regal. Best of all, Larcis remains one of the best values anywhere in the world.

Stony, mineral-driven red plums and cherries are everywhere. Concentrated, fresh, complex and fresh, give this about a decade to allow everything to come together, gaining complexity, nuance and softness.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Attractive bouquet with cherry fruit, floral notes, and delicate blackberry and orange zest. Juicy, elegant and balanced with pleasant fruit sweetness, fine acidity, mineral and long. Promising ageing potential.

I always love this wine and the 2017 Chateau Larcis Ducasse is no exception. Offering a complex bouquet of spiced red and black fruits, white truffle, smoked game, and hints of underbrush, it hits the palate with medium- to full-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity, and present yet ripe, polished tannins as well as subtle background oak. It’s not a blockbuster like the 2015 and 2016 but has a terrific sense of minerality, flawless balance, and a great finish. Give bottles 4–5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 15–20 years or so. The blend is 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc and was brought up in 60% new barrels.

92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc. Dark garnet with a violet rim. Complex red and blue berry bouquet with sour cherries and blackberries, followed by ripe raspberries and a noticeable limestone note. Taut palate with powdery tannins and a powerful, elegant body. Long finish with lingonberry and rosewood, ending with delicate astringency. On the right track here, with room to improve! 17.5/20

Kunz barrel sample 18: (92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 34% hl/ha, 73% Grand Vin) Silky, medium-intensity bouquet with Damassine plums, licorice, nougat, cherries. Fruity, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, finely sandy tannins, good aromatics, slightly firm structure, bitter finish.

(92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 34 hl/ha, 73% Grand Vin) Silky, medium-bodied bouquet, Damassine plums, licorice, nougat, cherries. Fruity, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine-sandy tannins, good aromatics, slightly firm core structure, bitter finish. 17/20 2024 - 2038

A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Larcis Ducasse is medium to deep garnet colored. It soars from the glass with fragrant notes of rose oil, Morello cherries, redcurrant preserves, and raspberry leaves, followed by suggestions of Ceylon tea, fallen leaves, cardamom, and lavender. The medium- to full-bodied palate is soft, graceful, and caressing, delivering just enough freshness to the perfumed red fruits, finishing with a soft-spoken intensity.

Generous, taut, deep, fruity wine with broad, polished tannins and a lovely tension on the finish.

Aged for 16 to 18 months in 60% new barrels and 40% one-wine barrels. Barrel sizes of 225 L and 500 L. Larcis’s bouquet is defined by minerality, with distinctly chalky notes. What energy and expressiveness on the nose, where violet notes also eventually emerge. A gourmand, precise, compact attack. The wine shows body, richness and breadth thanks to well-coated, perfectly integrated tannins. They gain in power across the palate, providing solid support to the finish. A wine that reveals itself with subtlety and persuasion. Persistent fruity finish.

The nose is aromatic, elegant, racy, with lovely fine grain and subtle intensity. It reveals notes of blackberry, coffee and, more subtly, small blue fruits, combined with hints of strawberry, as well as very fine touches of flowers, toasted almond and a subtle hint of spices. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral, elegant, offering tension and a crisp acidic backbone. On the palate, this wine delivers notes of juicy/fresh blackberry, juicy/fresh small blue fruits and, more delicately, juicy/fresh raspberry, together with a subtle hint of crunchy cherry, violet, and very discreet touches of cornflower, tonka bean and spices. The tannins are fine and very delicately firm. Good length. Good persistence with a touch of dark chocolate/coffee bitterness.

Dark, intense, and vibrant color. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. A melt-in-the-mouth, very flavorful palate where the texture caresses a very good body. A tasty finish that is, for now, more spicy than fruity.

At this stage, this wine is muted, but its future and structure are all in place. As it opens, it will reveal smoky fruits, rich tannins, impressive concentration and a core of black-plum and berry flavors. This will take time, so drink the wine from 2024.