Larcis-Ducasse St-Émilion 2016

99 points James Suckling: "The aromas here are so spellbinding with shitake mushrooms, wet earth and moss, as well as tree bark and, finally, dark fruit. The palate is incredible as it builds and grows with full body, but always tight and reserved. It shows so much depth and complexity. Please try not to touch this until 2025. (1/16/19)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Larcis Ducasse is absolutely gorgeous. Fresh, vibrant and alluring, with tremendous vibrancy, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive savory and blood orange notes add brightness to the red cherry and plum fruit, with beams of firm yet well-integrated tannins that give the wine its shape and energy. In 2016, Larcis brings together undeniable raciness and power in a complete package that is irresistibly beautiful. Give it a few years in bottle for the tannins to soften. Drink: 2024-2056. (Jan 2019)"

97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "From one of my favorite estates in Bordeaux, the deeply colored 2016 Château Larcis Ducasse is comprised of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 50% new French oak. It offers a huge bouquet of black, black fruits, smoked herbs, forest floor, graphite, and underbrush that builds beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, opulent and expansive on the palate, with building tannins, it’s a rich, layered Saint-Emilion as well as another incredible wine from this estate. Give it a few years if you can. It’s capable of keeping for three decades or more. Drink: 2019-2049. (2/28/19)"

97 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2016 Larcis Ducasse is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. An opaque garnet-black in color, it requires a fair amount of swirling before erupting with a profound perfume of blueberry preserves, ripe black plums, juicy blackberries, and dark chocolate, leading to nuances of licorice, espresso, fertile loam, and Indian spices, plus a hint of black truffles. The densely laden, full-bodied palate is still very tightly wound at this stage, giving peeks at the layers of minerals, exotic spices, and fragrant earth notes intertwined with the generous black fruits, backed by firm, rounded tannins and amazing tension, finishing with epic length. While the richness and quality of the tannins make this an irresistibly delicious drink now, try to keep your hands off it for another decade and then drink it over the next 30 years+. Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2032-2062. (9/28/22)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Larcis Ducasse sashays gracefully out of the glass with beautiful Black Forest cake, red cherry compote, raspberry preserves and blackberry pie scents plus hints of cigar box, Ceylon tea, dried lavender and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers gorgeous red and black fruit preserves flavors with a wonderfully plush texture and very long, perfumed finish. Drink: 2021-2049. (Nov 2018)"

96 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "From the Pavie slopes, this is dark and perfumed, with an aromatic nose, fragrant and confident, releasing scents of black bean and black pepper over and above the fruit, all laced with praline, toast, cocoa bean and vanilla, as well as touches of smoke and salt. The palate feels very accomplished with a velvety texture, full of creamed fruit, in a savoury, dark and spicy style, dressed with notes of black pepper, black bean, crushed black plum and damson, black currant and black olive. The tannic undercurrent feels firm, tightly knit and velvety, giving the wine fabulous grip, yet it feels fresh and composed. It finishes long, the length charged with tannic energy. This is an excellent vintage for Larcis Ducasse. (Dec 2018)"

95 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "As you would expect from a young wine in such a brilliant year, this is still closed yet powerful, rich and layered, displaying again the two faces of concentration and freshness that Larcis captures so well. It has precision tannins that, even at three years old, are layered and supple and the emphasis is on densely knitted cassis fruits with a slate minerality and menthol uplift. 60% new oak was used. Drinking Window: 2025-2044. (Sep 2019)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Features a lovely profile, with caressing edges but a very focused feel, as cassis, plum reduction and blueberry preserve flavors stream through together, flanked by dark tea and singed apple wood notes. A bolt of chalk emerges steadily through the finish, keeping this well-grounded. This will need some time to unwind fully. Best from 2023 through 2038. (3/31/19)"

95 points (17.5/20) La Revue du Vin de France: "On the contrary, 2016 presents itself as a dynamic, applied, almost concise Larcis. At once sunny and delicate, long and elegant with a tannic structure that is airy, it offers a compact flavor for the moment, evoking iris (a constant in this vintage) and red fruit coulis. (2020)"