This is very structured and powerful with bright and electric acidity and fine-grained yet muscular tannins. Full-bodied yet compact and focused. Greatly formed. Flexing. Thoughtful. - jamessuckling.com, April 2019

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Larcis Ducasse features wonderfully expressive scents of baked black and red plums, kirsch, rose hip tea and cigar box with hints of pencil shavings, baked redcurrants and truffles plus a waft of licorice. Full-bodied and beautifully nuanced on the palate, it has layer upon layer of red and black fruit preserves with beautiful, velvety tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, April 2019, The Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Larcis Ducasse needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of crushed blackberries, plum preserves and boysenberries with suggestions of black truffles, tapenade and crushed rocks coming through, building to a subtle underlying perfume of roses and cloves. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits and loads of savory sparks, framed by firm, slightly chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Incorporating 11% Cabernet Franc, the Merlot-dominated 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse come from an 11.5-hectare parcel of clay and limestone soils, on the south facing hillside just outside of Saint-Émilion, and there are only 2,400 cases made, which equates to 72% of the total production. This deeply colored beauty offers a thrilling blue fruit quality as well as complex violets, graphite, and a liquid rock-like minerality. It's deep and thrillingly pure, with fine tannins and a beautiful finish. This is an incredible terroir, and the estate has been firing on all cylinders thanks to the talents of Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire. Give bottles 4-5 years (if you can) and it will keep for 30-40 years if you’re so inclined. - jebdunnuck.com, May 2019

Heady, high toned, exotic and perfumed. Sheer weight of rich, intense black cherry and plum fruit which hangs into the mid palate with real presence. A seriously big but beautiful wine. St Emilion back on magnificent form! - April 2019

A wine of total sophistication and class, Larcis Ducasse is fabulous in 2018. Freshly cut flowers, bright red fruit, espresso, licorice and wild flowers are all vibrant in the glass. The 2018 marries fruit intensity, energy and structure like few wines in this vintage. The 2018 is deceptive in its mid-weight structure, but it packs a real punch. There is an element of precision in Larcis that is truly remarkable. Even with all of its intensity, Larcis retains its characteristic linear feel and drive. I loved it. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, May 2019

The 2018 Larcis Ducasse was cropped at 33hL/ha from 21 to 26 September for the Merlot and 1 to 4 October for the Cabernet Franc. This has a more floral bouquet compared to the previous vintage: iris and peony aromas infusing the black and blueberry fruit, hints of orange rind emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity emanating from the asteriated limestone. There is undoubtedly intensity here, although this is allied by a linearity that imparts a sense of classicism. Great potential.

89% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc; 50% new oak. Barrel sample. Black core with the thinnest of purple rims. Has both cassis and a more wild elderberry aroma. Tannins are really definite but not thick, firm but rounded, and there's freshness to counterbalance the fullness and power. Long, blackcurrant finish. (JH)

Black core with the thinnest of purple rims. Has both cassis and a more wild elderberry aroma. Tannins are really definite but not thick, firm but rounded, and there's freshness to counterbalance the fullness and power. Long, blackcurrant finish. - Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019