Larcis Ducasse Retrospective: 1945-2014

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MARCH 28, 2017  

This comprehensive retrospective at Larcis Ducasse spanned a remarkable eight decades and included wines all the way back to 1945 that trace the evolution of the estate during the three distinct eras that bridge those years.

In the past, Larcis Ducasse had a checkered track record. This vertical certainly is proof of that. Some of the older wines in this tasting, notably the wines of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s are terrific, especially considering the eras during which they were made. But other wines, especially those from the late 1980s and early 1990s, are lackluster. As we will see, quality picks up in a meaningful way throughout the 2000s and well into the 2010s. 

One of the things I admire most about Larcis is its very reasonable price upon release. While Bordeaux is often criticized, sometimes justly, for excessively high prices, the reality is that there are dozens of châteaux that make delicious, ageworthy, pedigreed wines that the average consumer can still afford. In fact, some of my favorite vintages in this vertical are not necessarily the most celebrated years like 2005, 2009 and 2010. To be sure, those are gorgeous wines, but they also carry the high, at times inflated, prices of collectible vintages. As a consumer looking for wines to drink, I am frankly more tempted by the 2004, 2008 and 2012, all of which are absolutely delicious right now and offer terrific relative value. 

Historical Background 

Larcis Ducasse has been a family owned property for several centuries. Historical records show the wines were prized at least as far back as the 1800s. The estate’s modern-day history dates to 1941 when Hélène Gratiot Alphandéry inherited the estate. Following the end of World War II, Gratiot Alphandéry moved to Larcis Ducasse and managed the property for several decades. Her son, Jacques-Olivier Gratiot, took over in 1990 and continues to oversee the property with his sister, Jeanne Attmane, and their families. In 2002, the Gratiots appointed Nicolas Thienpont Estate Manager. 

An Exceptional Terroir

Larcis Ducasse occupies a splendid position in Saint-Émilion’s on the Côte de Pavie, a striking south-facing hillside. La Gaffelière and Canon-La Gaffelière are just southwest, while Pavie-Decesse, Pavie-Macquin and Troplong Mondot all lie to the north. The eleven hectares of vineyards run from the famed Saint-Émilion plateau, through the heart of the slope and down into the foothills. Atop the plateau the terrain is composed of hard, asteriated limestone. Moving downslope, the soils become a combination of limestone deposits and the clay-limestone mixture known as molasse du Fronsadais, while the bottom slopes are marked by a series of deposits created over time by gravity and the influence of the Dordogne River. The intertwining of these various soils types and exposures is without question one of the elements that makes Larcis Ducasse such a pedigreed and complex wine. The varietal mix is approximately 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 

Concrete fermentation vats