Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The aromas are subtle and complete, with a lovely combination of ripe berries, wet earth and sea salt. Medium-bodied with a dense palate that becomes bright, vivid, crunchy and spicy, with a fresh pear undertone to the subtle plum aftertaste. Extremely complex. 86% merlot and 14% cabernet franc.
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Vinous
The 2023 Larcis Ducasse is elegant, powerful and wonderfully expressive. In other words, classic Larcis. Plum, blood orange, spice, menthol, mocha and gravel infuse the 2023 with layers of dimension that only grow with time in the glass. This will need some time to shed its considerable baby fat. Superb. Tasted four times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
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.
Barrel Sample: 95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc aged in a mix of barrels, 500-liter, and foudre (roughly 60% new oak), the 2023 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep purple hue as well as a great nose of ripe red and black fruits, smoky tobacco, chocolaty herbs, and graphite. This carries to a medium to full-bodied palate that has a round, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It's one of the richer, more textured, sexy, opulent wines in the vintage while still staying in the charming, pure, layered style of 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Larcis Ducasse fully matches expectations formed at the en primeur tastings. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of dark berries, fresh licorice, gentian, smoke and flowers, discreetly accented by oak, it is medium- to full-bodied, suave and velvety, built around a fleshy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a delicately saline finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Even after decades of tasting Château Larcis Ducasse, I still haven’t decided whether this wine leans a bit too rustic for my personal taste. The 2023 vintage delivers a potpourri of garden-fresh aromatics and a substantial presence on the palate, combining earth, herbs, and dark fruit with firm structure. That breadth and intensity make it a beautiful match for a spicy Korean pork dish such as dwaeji bulgogi—gochujang-marinated pork grilled with garlic, ginger, and scallions, where the wine’s savory depth and weight stand up comfortably to the dish’s heat and umami. (Tasted: January 22, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Shows subtle juiciness that runs through from start to finish, giving the pretty mix of gently mulled plum and raspberry fruit good energy through the alder- and iris-tinged finish. Shows a late tug of chalky minerality. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.