2009 Ch. Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion

An intense, lifted perfume, from the 19% Cabernet Franc, burst from the glass upon tasting this wine whilst the supple elegance of perfectly ripe (but not overripe) 81% Merlot added a fine, silky balance. The stylish, ripe tannins then melted away leaving a long, long finish with a Ribena kick at the end. Simply delicious.

Seductive aroma of crushed red-berry fruit. Exceptional fruit and flavour. Fine tannins, freshness and length. Real personality. As good as 2005.
(Steven Spurrier - Decanter - Apr 2010)

Some development at the rim. Rich and super-ripe black fruits. Sweet and rather fruit-juice like. Polished and made with great elan. Super smooth. I think people would like this. The tannins have been well managed. It’s just a little too sweet for my personal taste.
(Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com - Apr 2010)

A complex set of aromas ranging from coffee to forest floor, herbs, licorice, blackberries, cassis and cherries all seem to jump from the glass, and then are joined by a hint of charcoal as well camphor. This is an impressive, full-bodied, dense, concentrated wine that is more up-front and approachable than the 2005 was at a similar stage, but it is remarkably expressive, full-bodied, dense and capable of lasting 20-25 years.

Showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, this wine comes very close to equaling the prodigious 2005 that was produced by consultants Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt. Cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare from the limestone hillsides of this terroir, the final blend was 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc that tipped the scales at 14.6% natural alcohol. It is a brilliant sample of wine, as this has long been one of the great terroirs of St.-Emilion, but under-exploited until nearly a decade ago.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Feb 2012)

Gorgeous, juicy fruit, with light wood, full and velvety tannins, and loads of Indian spices. Though there's lots going on, I was expecting a little more.
(James Suckling - Wine Spectator - March 2010)