CHÂTEAU LARCIS DUCASSE
2019 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
The 2019 Larcis-Ducasse is classically-styled on the nose with tobacco and cedar infusing the black fruit, a little austere at first, yet there is a sense of stature. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, slightly candied in style but there is commendable structure behind this Saint-Émilion with a dash of black pepper on the finish. Exquisite. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2019 Larcis Ducasse is magnificent. Deep and beautifully layered, the 2019 offers tons of youthful resonance wrapped into a super-classic frame. There is a feeling of translucence here that is so beguiling. Sweet dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, menthol and dried flowers are some of the many aromas and flavors that take shape over time. Regal and refined, with an elegant, polished finish, Larcis is magnificent in 2019. Aging in equal parts barrique and 500L tonneaux (which are rare in Bordeaux) helps preserve vibrancy. Larcis Ducasse might be the single most under the radar wine in all of Bordeaux! Drinking range: 2029 - 2059 Rating: 96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
Extreme in all the right ways - in the verticality, the salinity, the density, the forward motion and the stretching out through the palate. But it is also mouthwatering and drinkable, with a ton of blueberry and raspberry puree fruits alongside still austere tannins. Love it. Owned by the Gratiot-Attmane family, made by the Nicolas Thienpont team. 38.5hl/ha yield. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Larcis Ducasse was harvested from the 25th of September to the 7th of October. Yields were 38.5 hectoliters per hectare this year, with around 70% of production going into the grand vin. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sails out of the glass with effortlessly graceful notes of fresh blackberries, warm red and black plums and mulberries plus hints of cedar chest, potpourri, powdered cinnamon and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is quite tightly wound, giving glimpses of spice and mineral layers among the black fruits and firm, rounded tannins, finishing with bags of freshness and energy. About 2,850 cases are anticipated to be made. Rating: 95-97+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Jun 2020)
The 2019 Larcis Ducasse is deep purple in colour. The bouquet is opulent and ravishing with precocious dark cherry, cassis and crushed violet aromas that seem to envelop the senses, "hug them into submissions!" The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that manage to exert good grip, though you only notice that after the wine has exited. Great depth, touches of ash and black pepper infusing the black fruit with unerring balance on the finish. This is an outstanding Saint-Émilion with 30-40 years of pleasure to give. Drinking range: 2024 - 2055 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
The 2019 Larcis Ducasse is a Saint-Émilion of energy and tension. Graphite, menthol, licorice, tobacco and cedar notes open up in the bouquet. On the palate, though, the 2019 is much more reticent. That is likely a very good thing for its long-term prospect. One of the features of Larcis is the use of 500-liter barrels (which are rarely seen in Bordeaux) for certain parcels. Those larger barrels certainly add to the wine's freshness and verve. Larcis is one of the more introverted 2019s I tasted. It is also one of Bordeaux's most under the radar gems. Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate (Jun 2020)
Château Larcis Ducasse
At the south-eastern extremes of the St Emilion plateau, the steeper hillsides crowned by Château Troplong Mondot are known as the Côte de Pavie and play host to some of St Emilion’s most exciting vineyards. Not least among them are the various Pavie châteaux, but this is also home to Château Larcis Ducasse. The Larcis name seems to have been used for a wider area of vineyard on the Côte, a lot of which is now part of Château Pavie, whilst the Ducasse comes from a one-time owner, one of several Duscasses to have made a mark in Bordeaux. Henri Raba purchased Château Larcis Ducasse in 1893 and the estate is still owned by his descendants today. Since 2002, Larcisse Ducasse has been managed by Nicolas Thienpont, who also manages Pavie-Macquin, and whose family are intimately woven into the fabric of modern St Emilion; he has been notably assisted by another St Emilion superstar Stéphane Derenencourt. The 11ha of vineyard are planted with 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, with an average age of 35 years. The on-going success of Château Larcis Ducasse, and the quality of its terroir, was rewarded with the status of Premier Grand Cru Classé (B) status in the 2012 St Emilion Classification.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2027. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2027. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.