Tasted both at the château and then blind at Farr Vintners' tasting, the 2006 Château Larcis Ducasse is maturing nicely, far better than the Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse that I tasted side by side. It has plenty of ripe black cherry, strawberry pastille and creme de cassis on the nose, quite opulent for the vintage and well defined. The palate is medium bodied with fine tannin cloaked in ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit; underlying all of this is a seam of cold stone that imparts freshness and satisfying tension on the finish. This is well worth seeking out and is performing at a much higher level than the 2006 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarosse. Tasted February 2016.

Since 2002, this great terroir has been fully exploited by the dynamic duo of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt. Following the monumental 2005,a legend in the making, it is hard to get excited about the 2006, even though it is an outstanding effort. While more austere and not as concentrated as its predecessor, it is an impressive blend of 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc displaying a deep, dark ruby color as well as a striking bouquet of powdered rocks/minerals, sweet cherry and plum-like fruit, and hints of Christmas fruitcake and spice box. It is an elegant, medium-bodied, moderately tannic, pure effort possessing outstanding density. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15-20 years.

Ruby-red. Aromas of kirsch, blackberry, violet and minerals. Suave on entry, then vibrant and firm in the middle, with perfumed flavors of blackberry, flowers and minerals. An elegantly styled wine whose 20% cabernet franc component contributes strong minerality and site character. Finishes with fine tannins and very good aromatic persistence. An excellent performance for the vintage.

Tasted blind. Definite evolution at the rim. Blackish ruby. Very light nose but it's clean and fresh. Straightforward and unforced. Tannins in evidence at the end but not too rasping compared with some. (JR)