Chateau Larcis-Ducasse 2012
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2012 from Larcis Ducasse is a stunner, and not far from the otherworldly 2005. Made from 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, this sensational 2012 offers a gorgeous bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, cedary spice, tobacco leaf and damp earth. Opulent, full-bodied and decadent, yet incredibly light on its feet and graceful, with its oak completely concealed by its wealth of fruit, it has sweet tannin, no hard edges, and unbelievable purity of fruit. Buy as much as you can and enjoy bottles anytime over the coming two decades or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 exhibits notes of licorice, truffles, lead pencil shavings, barbecued meats, blackberries, black raspberries and a hint of espresso roast. Sweet new oak notes are apparent in the back of the wine, but its abundant fruit, full-bodied mouthfeel, and multidimensional texture as well as length, make for an impressive showing. This wine will need 3-4 years of cellaring and should keep for 20 years or more. Bravo! If you haven’t yet jumped on the Larcis Ducasse bandwagon, it’s time to do so.
Range: 93-95 -
James Suckling
This shows so much class and balance with blackberry and mushroom character. Some wet earth. It makes you want to drink it! Fine and ripe tannins. Gorgeous. Drink in 2018.
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Wine Enthusiast
Barrel sample. Newly promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé in 2012, this is a fine, concentrated wine, showing great style. It has weight and a delicious juiciness that is sustained by firm, dry tannins. Already a beautiful wine.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 Points -
Wine Spectator
Dark and winey, with steeped currant, macerated plum and warm boysenberry coulis flavors, laced with licorice snap and roasted apple wood notes. The charcoal edge is buried on the finish, with a lingering minerality. Lots going on here. Needs time. Best from 2017 through 2027.
Other Vintages
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Connoisseurs'
Guide
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Chateau Larcis Ducasse is still in the hands of the Gratiot Alphandery family and since 2002 the property has been under the management of Nicolas Thienpont
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.