Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is really classic in character, with a fine tannin structure and medium body. It starts slowly and then accelerates quickly into intense black cherries, currants and a salty note. Savory and subtle. 86% merlot and 14% cabernet franc."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Another smoking effort in the vintage, the 2023 Château Larcis Ducasse has a medium to full-bodied, plush, sexy style as well as awesome aromatics of red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and spice. It brings way more depth and richness than most in the vintage, and it has ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. I was able to taste this beauty multiple times, and it never failed to impress. The blend is 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, from the Côte Pavie hillside just outside of Saint-Emilion, and it’s currently resting in 50% new oak, with 40% in once-used barrels and 10% in foudre."

WEINWISSER: "86 % Merlot, 14 % Cabernet Franc, 43 hl/ha. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, verführerisches Veilchenparfüm, edle Cassiswürze, frischgepflückte Brombeeren. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, energiegeladener Rasse, Vibrant, dicht und präzise, spiegelt das Terroir perfekt wider. Im konzentrierten Finale mit blauen Beeren, dunklem Graphit und körniger Adstringenz. "It's a bold Larcis-Ducasse", meint Cyrill Thienpont stolz. Gehört in seiner Klasse zu den Besten."

VINUM: "Tiefgründig, kühl, nobel, florale Noten, dunkle Frucht, Schwarzkirsche, mineralisch unterlegt; gradlinig im Auftakt, zupackend, knackige Frucht, messerscharfes Tannin, grosser Spannungsbogen, lebendig, elegant, salin und rotfruchtig im Abgang. Einmal mehr ausgezeichnet."

DECANTER: "Vibrant colour. Dark aromatics, something quite alluring about the nose - chocolate, salty stones, blackcurrants. Rich and full, but so smooth, like a thick silk, it coats the palate but so effortlessly, all while having real grip to the mineral-edged tannins. This is packing a lot of power, but keeps a cool edge with a vein of graphite and liquorice minerality. Quite a serious take, this is straight and focussed, very well defined, but not so expansive. I love the hints of sweet and cool blueberries that just lift the expression, dotted with cool but spiced tobacco and clove. A little constricted, but there’s lots to like, and feels a good combination of a hot and cool vintage. 3.55pH. Ageing 45% in 225l barrels, 45% in 500l barrels and 10 foudres. A yield of 432hl/ha."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Larcis Ducasse delivers an initial burst of pure, ripe blueberries and crushed blackberries before opening out to hints of fragrant soil, rose oil, black truffle, and a beguiling waft of preserved mandarin peel. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound like a spring, revealing black fruit, floral, and mineral nuances with a taut structure of firm fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and fantastically layered. This is stunning."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Crushed stone, flowers, strawberries, cherries, licorice, tobacco, and spice create the complex aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is crisp, ripe, long, and vibrant. It is easy to find its trademark sense of minerality accompanying the layers of fruit that linger on the mid-palate. There is purity, length, and energy in the finish. The wine blends 86% Merlot with 14% Cabernet Franc. 14.7% ABV. Drink from 2029-2055."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Harvested between September 14 and 25, the 2023 Larcis Ducasse offers up aromas of dark berries, preserved plums, orange confit, vine smoke, licorice and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit framed by ripe, powdery tannins, it's succulent, suave and polished, concluding a mouthwateringly mineral finish. It's a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Floraler Touch, schwarze Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Kirschen, zart nach kandierten Veilchen, kandierte Mandarinenzesten. Saftig, elegant, reife Kirschen, kraftvoll, reife Tannine, schokoladig-mineralisch im Abgang, bereits gut entwickelt, zeigt Länge und Potenzial."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep crimson hue. Attractive berry-fruit nose. Fresh and lifted. Lovely texture and aromas on the palate. Good depth of fruit with fine, integrated tannins. Persistent. Good effort. Drink 2030 – 2045"