2021 Larcis Ducasse - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé

Decanter.com - 94 pts - GH: *Heady and fresh bramble fruits, herbal and savoury on the nose, some earthy tones with soft floral specks. Succulent, touching on sharp and sour, a hit of bright blackberry and blueberry and plum on the palate, searing but not unbalanced in terms of acidity. I love the gentle but bitter and stony flavour you get, it’s a darker style with serious complexity on the palate and nuance of flavour. A confident wine, clearly concentrated and powerful but also sleek! A great effort. Tasted three times.* - 04/2022

Falstaff Magazin – 92 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife dunkle Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Pflaumen, zart nach Orangenschalen, mit Brombeerkonfitüre unterlegt. Mittlerer Körper, reife Kirschen, zarte Süße, frisch strukturiert, feine Tannine, balanciert und gut anhaftend, straffer, salziger und rotbeeriger Abgang, verfügt über Entwicklungspotenzial.* - 05/2022

The Wine Advocate – (92-94) pts – WK: *A blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Larcis Ducasse wafts from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries, violets, warm spices and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, deep and attractively layered, with lively acids and a chalky, saline finish, this is a terrific effort. Nicolas Thienpont and his team were extremely selective this year, and the grand vin derives almost entirely from the slope, without much contribution from the plateau above.* - 05/2022

Vinum Magazin – 16/20pts: * Zurückhaltend ausbaugeprägt und fruchtig; besitzt Spannkraft und Rasse, hohen Fruchtgehalt, reifes Tannin; erfreuliche Balance.* - 08/2021

JancisRobinson.com – 16+/20pts – JL: * 86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Deep crimson to the rim. Aromatically discreet but fresh. Lovely texture of tannin, the fruit gently seductive. Less punch than some years but charm and finesse. Clean, if a little dry on the finish.* - 04/2022

JamesSuckling.com – (94-95) pts - JS: *This is medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Already has an expressive nose of blackcurrants, blackberries, white pepper, cloves and black licorice. Salty minerality. Fresh and fine. Spicy finish. Lengthy, too. 86% merlot and 14% cabernet franc.* - 05/2022

Vinous.com – 94 pts – AG: *The 2021 Larcis Ducasse has turned out better than I expected. It is a shy, introverted Larcis built along super-classic lines—the sort of Saint-Émilion that will emerge only with a number of years in bottle. Spice, tobacco, cedar, menthol, licorice and dried herbs all build effortlessly in the glass. This is such a classy, elegant wine. Tasted three times.* - 12/2023

Vinous.com – 91 pts – NM: *The 2021 Larcis Ducasse has a more restrained bouquet compared to recent vintages, showing black plum, blackcurrant, vanilla pod and violet scents. There's opulence here, but it's compressed. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, a bit angular at first with cola and brown spices. Linear toward the finish with fine sustain, it doesn't quite have the caliber of say, the La Gaffelière and its ilk, but it should give 15+ years of drinking pleasure.* - 12/2023

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 93 pts – JL: *Elegant, charming and filled with crushed stones, flowers, spice, tobacco, and chocolate covered cherries, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, salty and chewy. This is a finesse-styled vintage with a savory edge to the black cherries on the mid-palate and in the oceanic finish. The wine blends 86% Merlot with 14% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2045.* - 03/2024