(97-99 points) A Merlot-heavy blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a dense purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of ripe currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with smoky tobacco, graphite, and crushed stone. Aged in a mix of 225-liter barriques (45%), 500-liter demi-muids (40%), and foudres (15%), it checks in at 13.8% alcohol with a pH of 3.5. Deep, rich, and full-bodied on the palate, it has a broad, layered mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It might end up being in the top handful of wines in the vintage.

(95-97 points) Matured 40% in barrels (50% new), 45% in large-format barrels (also 50% new) and the balance in foudres, the 2025 Larcis Ducasse reveals an elegant, vibrant and gourmand bouquet of violet, dark berries, dark cherries and flowers, accented by delicate spicy notes. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and seamless, it’s built around a ripe—yet not overripe—core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a floral, harmonious and ethereal finish. This is a pure expression of Larcis Ducasse and one of the most accomplished renditions produced here to date.

(95-97 points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Larcis Ducasse prances out of the glass with showy notes of ripe, juicy plums, blueberry pie, and crushed black cherries, giving way to hints of violets, sassafras, and sandalwood. The medium-bodied palate is bright and juicy with great tension and firm yet velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Impressive!

(95-97 points ) The 2025 Larcis Ducasse is another exceptional wine from one of the most under-the-radar estates in Saint-Émilion. 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. Élevage 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. -By Antonio Galloni

Right at the top of the vintage here, full of character and depth, clear intensity and acidity, has the sword-like limestone touch of the vintage but so well shaped and handled. Toasted grilled campfire and bilberry and cassis puree, great quality, rosemary, redcurrant, liquorice. 3.5 pH. Harvest September 10 to 28. 50% new oak.

Gorgeously alive blackcurrant aromas on the nose, so pure and expressive. Silky, a little sharp, the acidity is really the focus here with crystalline strawberry fruit. A bit tight, but the tension really drives the flavours forward with a sleek outline. So smooth, the tannins are excellent, I love the very softly chalky, but also slightly chewy aspect here all the while keeping that quite strict, straight, citrus-edged acidity. It’s a live wire. I like it a lot, needs time, but there’s energy and focus for sure. Piercing, mouthwatering, but ends crisp and grippy. 3.50pH. A yield of 40hl/ha.