Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2019 - 3 Litre Bottle

Baked-plum aromas, together with candied spices, earth, tobacco and light coffee, following through to a full body with firm yet polished tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. It really builds and shows loads of structure and intensity. Give it time to soften slightly, but the flavours and texture are already balanced and sophisticated. Classic style to this. The palate really builds.

From vines within the Ducru-Beaucaillou vineyard this is a major wine in its own right. It is generous in rich in blackberry flavours, serious tannins and a complex balance between acidity and ripe fruitiness. It will obviously age well.

The 2019 Larcis Ducasse has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, burning embers, spices and liquorice. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, it's a giving, generous wine that's softer and rounder than Pavie Macquin, its stablemate. This beautiful vineyard, managed by Nicolas Thienpont, is located on the limestone slopes of Saint-Émilion, sandwiched between Pavie and Belle font-Belcier. Best After 2023.

Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2019 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum colour as well as a reserved bouquet of ripe black cherries, leafy tobacco, graphite, and damp earth. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, with clean, ripe tannins, it's holding things relatively close to its vest and is going to benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age.