CHÂTEAU LARCIS DUCASSE

Deep crimson. Rich, dark but withheld on the nose and a lovely rocky dry impression. A little more fragrant with air. Juicy and fresh, finely structured and already in harmony if not (yet) approachable. Elegant length. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 17.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Nov 2017)

A Stéphane Derenoncourt wine. 87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc. The lighter fruit on less clayey soils, about 40%, is aged in 500-litre casks. Intense but mellow nose. Rich and round on the palate with some zest. A light animal note gives this drama. But it's not forced. Just a slight vegy note on the end. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)

Rating: 89 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2016)

87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc. Maturity of the fruit balanced by the limestone terroir. Ripe, dark fruit aroma and flavour – raisins and blackcurrant. The palate tight and firm with good tension and length. Affirmative in style. Slightly chewy finish. Drinking range: 2023 - 2035 Rating: 93 James Lawther MW, decanter.com (Apr 2016)

Hard to believe this. It has a minerality and intensity like a great white wine with so much chalky character that it gives an oyster shell flavor. Full and racy. Shaking my head in intrigue. Wonderfully silky tannins. Rating: 98-99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2016)

Another wine made by Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire, and under their direction this property was promoted in 2012. In the 2015 vintage the assemblage is dominated by 87% Merlot, picked on September 28th-30th, October 3rd and the 10th. The Cabernet Franc, just 13% of the blend, was picked on October 7th and 12th. The yield was 37 hl/ha. This has dark, quite pure, perfumed black cherry fruit on the nose, with a very confident, plush but defined character. There is a little oaky lactone vanilla lift here, as there is in many wines. A very pretty style, the palate has freshness, tension, a very pure character, with bright floral fruit laced with gingerbread spice, beautifully tense and defined. Lots of oaky lactone here at the end as well though. All the same, fresh, poised, concentrated, with piles of tight tannic grip in the finish. Tasted three times, and not for the first time the sample presented at the château showed best. This is a really impressive Larcis Ducasse, dark and concentrated yet fresh, and surely one of the best vintages I have tasted. Rating: 17.5-18.5/20 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2016)

Lush, with velvety structure that lets the raspberry, plum and cassis fruit glide beautifully through the spice-tinged finish. Still very primal, but has length and fruit for days. Rating: 93—96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2016)