Smoke, tobacco, crushed stone, dark red fruits and wet earth are all over the place. The wine is full bodied, intense, concentrated and richly textured. There is a beautiful sensation of minerality and ripe fruits at work here. But at least 10 years are needed for this to get where it needs to be.

A more elegant, finesse-driven style of cuvee than normal, the 2015 Château Larcis-Ducasse is comprised of close to 90% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc. It reveals a terrific bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, cedary spice and forest floor, with more graphite and lead pencil nuances developing as it sat in the glass. With full-bodied richness, a tight, backward, yet promising style on the palate, beautiful tannin quality, and a great finish, it’s an undeniably classy, balanced 2015 that will reward 2-4 years of bottle age.

Composed of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Larcis Ducasse is deep garnet colored. The nose is a little shy and grumpy to start off, offering glimpses at tar, damp soil, truffles, burnt rubber, and smoked meats notes, before going full peacock and revealing gregarious notes of kirsch, juicy black plums, wild blueberries, and violets, followed by a waft of star anise. The full-bodied palate explodes with bright, opulent red, black, and blue fruit layers, showing off this vineyard's remarkable tension and very fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and very fragrant. Enjoy it now, after decanting a good 2-3 hours previously, or forget it in the cellar for another 6-8 years and drink it over the next 25 years+.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Larcis Ducasse opens with opulent scents of blueberry pie, baked plums and spice cake with nuances of unsmoked cigars, dusty soil, licorice and a touch of salami. Big, rich, full-bodied and incredibly impactful on the palate, it proudly struts its bold black and blue fruits with a plush, velvet-textured cape, finishing long and spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

This is absolute proof that I can love a rich, bristling St-Émilion when it is in balance. An excellently located Nicolas Thienpont-run estate, it clearly shows the potential of a property that has not always got it right. It has lots of power, coiled and ready to spring, but there is an austerity and salinity that pays you back for the punch. Very good, will age superbly.