Château Larcis Ducasse has one of the most enviable terroirs on the Côte Pavie. Not only do the vineyards fully face the sun, but beneath the terraced millefeuille of limestone and clay soils are natural springs that originate deep below that keep the vines roots nourished even in the hottest and driest of years. It’s a grand terroir that has succeeded exceptionally well here in 2025. This will be long-lived Larcis. The wine is reminiscent of the 2015 and the 2005 for me. There is super purity as you’d expect but this is a structured and formidable Larcis that needs time. David Suire, the man with the Midas touch at Château Laroque, has been working at Larcis Ducasse for 25 years, first alongside Nicolas Thienpont and now, since the retirement of Nicolas, on his own as director with the Gratiot-Attmane family.

Despite the intensity here in 2025, the alcohol in Larcis is well below fourteen and it has remarkable freshness and zap on the palate. This is another Bordeaux that has been released at a very respectable price, in this case £252/$335 per six [equivalent to £42/$56 a bottle] before tax and duty.

The following notes were taken on Tuesday 21st April at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux [UGCB] event at Château Valandraud. The wine was also tasted on Monday 20th April at Chateau Laroque with David Suire with consistent notes.

Château Larcis Ducasse, St Emilon Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2025

Deep and saturated; formidable colour; minerals and crushed rocks initially on the nose; some pretty perfume too in the glass; has genuine intensity and feels quite pent up; with some coaxing it opens to reveal tar and liquorice notes; also camphor and menthol; there is a real seam of intense black fruit too – plums and black cherries; lots of finesse to the fruit on the palate; it is tight and intense; lots of mineral and crushed rock notes again but enveloped in an essence of plum and cherry; really strong but will need time akin to 2005 and 2015 in style here. It’s coiled up like the universe at the point of the Big Bang. Lots of finesse and length. This is a steely vintage with a muscular, sinewy style. Sappy/spicy freshness on the very end. Lots of length. Remarkable. [90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, alcohol 13.8%, yield 40hl/ha, pH 3.5]. Tasted 20/4/26 & 21/4/26. Drink 2035-2055. 96-98+