2025 Larcis Ducasse (St-Emilion)

The 2025 Larcis Ducasse is another exceptional wine from one of the most under-the-radar estates in Saint-Emilion. Dark red-fleshed fruits, rose petal, lavender, mocha, licorice, sage and graphite are all seamless in the glass. The 2025 marries power with finesse to a degree that is exceptionally rare. Lively acids and lifted floral overtones brighten the long, resonant finish. The 2025 spent 23-24 days on skins, a bit shorter than most years. Elevage takes place in 40% French oak barrels, 40% 500-liter barrels and 20% 25-hectoliter foudre. Wines from clay-based soils tend to be raised in barrique to soften them, while wines from limestone-rich soils are naturally more delicate and typically aged in larger-format wood. Larcis was one of the first properties in Bordeaux to introduce large-format wood, a choice that works so well for this site and these wines. This is a stellar effort from Technical Director David Suire, who has been at the helm since 2022. Tasted three times. 95-97 points