99pts 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. 

97pts 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. 

97pts 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.

97pts 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+. 

97pts 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. 

96pts Robert Parker's 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.

95pts Decanter

Owned by the Gratiot-Attmane family since 1893, Nicolas Thienpont has managed this estate, which abuts Pavie, since 2002, supported by winemaker David Suire and Julien Lavenu of Stéphane Derenoncourt Consultants. While 20% of the 12ha of vineyards (10% on the plateau, 55% on steep terraces and 35% on lower slopes) are Cabernet Franc, in 2016 the blend saw just 5%, with 95% Merlot, aged in 60% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Fragrant, upfront nose. Agile, lithe palate. Supermineral, salty graphite tang to the tannins which give structure then almost melt away. Still tense but it offers a glimpse of the playfulness coming. Vincenzo Arnese: Good style, has power and intensity and shows notes of plum and dark cherry. Tobacco and nutmeg notes from the oak, ripe body and a vibrant finish. Arthur Coggill: Deep, powerful, rich and sweet nose; some maturing prune aromas, but generous. Sultry palate with more of that maturing prune. Fresh acidity and grippy tannins, needs time. 

95pts 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. 

93pts Wine Enthusiast

This perfumed wine is rich in black fruits bursting with juicy berry flavors and acidity. A dry core promises both good aging potential and great fruitiness. The silky structure is developing well and the wine should be ready to drink from 2024. 

Blend: 87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc