“Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish.” – #1, Top 100 Wines of 2025 – Jeb Dunnuck

That’s RIGHT! Today we have not one, not two, but THREE WINES OF THE YEAR!!!

Jeb Dunnuck captures our sentiments exactly. A perfect 100-point effort, from one of the top Right Bank properties, from an extraordinary vintage… for LESS THAN $120?!

Grab as many as you can, as fast you can!

If you don’t know Larcis Ducasse, now is the time! The property has been on a tear that last twenty years, garnering heaps of critical praise. “This great terroir, long owned by the Gratiot family, has come to life under the inspired winemaking of Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt.” raved Robert Parker, nearly a decade ago. A cursory glance at the press below will more than prove this is still the case!

They are located on the south facing portion of the Saint-Émilion plateau. This is prime terroir, soaking up sunlight all day producing grapes of optimal ripeness. It has been coveted land for grape growing since the time of the Roman Empire! A legend themselves, Larcis Ducasse is surrounded by some of the region’s most famous producers – Pavie, Troplong Mondot, Canon, among others.

Aside from the prime terroir, the real ace up their sleeve are consultants Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt. Both are among the top vignerons in the region, with countless 100-point wines between them.

And 2022? It was as ideal as could be imagined. As Jeb Dunnuck put it, “I called 2022 an incredible, singular vintage. Now that the wines are in bottles, it’s clear they have fully lived up to the early hype… The 2022s are deep, layered, and concentrated while staying beautifully balanced, light on their feet, and elegant. This is an extraordinary vintage that will go down in record books as one of the all-time greats.”

Pouring a deep ruby-purple, the wine is massively concentrated and encompasses a multiverse of black and blue fruits, exotic spices, aromatic cedar, cigar tobacco… we could rhapsodize all day about its endless layers of textural complexity! Still tightly wound, it’s definitely one for the cellar, and will reward you with decades of enjoyment.

And now the bad news – we weren’t able to secure much. If you’ve read this far, it may even be too late. HURRY UP and grab yours now!

100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck “One of the more muscular, concentrated 2022s in my tastings, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with serious aromatics of ripe red and black cherries, smoked tobacco, new leather, truffle, and an incredible sense of crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this close down with 3-4 years of bottle age only to re-emerge after a decade. Based on 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, this modern-day legend has a terrific pH of 3.48 and an alcohol of 14.8%. Drink 2037-2077.”

99 Points – Wine Cellar Insider “Opaque in color, just a single swirl brings out the flowers, oyster shell, licorice, smoke, black cherries, blackberries, and plum aromas. The palate is the perfect blend of intensity, concentration, lift, and length. The fruit glides and coats your palate with its non-stop, opulent waves of ripe, sweet, vibrant fruits, with their unique touch of crushed rocks and dark chocolate that show in the aftertaste. The finish builds, lingers, and expands for close to 60 seconds. I would not be surprised to see this score even higher after the wine has matured. The wine blends 86% Merlot with 14% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2060.”

98 Points – The Wine Palate “A blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with profound notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and dark chocolate, leading to hints of garrigue, tilled soil, and tar. The full-bodied palate is laden with expressive black fruit layers, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. Drink 2030-2065.”

97 Points – Vinous “The 2022 Larcis Ducasse is a huge, vertical wine. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2022 will need quite a few years to shed some of its considerable baby fat. Dense dark red fruit, new leather, licorice, rose petal and mocha are all broadly sketched. Imposing and vertical in build, this is immensely promising. The 2022 spent 14 months in oak (40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 500-liter barrels and 20% foudre), then three months in cement. I can’t wait to see how this develops. Tasted two times. Drink 2030-2062.”

97 Points – Decanter “Smells gorgeous, black fruits, milk chocolate and floral notes. Supple and lively, crystalline and pure, you get both the juicy, fleshiness of the dark and concentrated fruit but with tension and detail and definition. Clarity and bite, this really works and delivers everything you want in terms of tannins, minerality, freshness and density. Controlled and purposeful and keeps a quiet confidence and strong intensity the whole way through. Clearly powerful, but refined and sophisticated. Compelling, darkly seductive and oh so drinkable. A fantastic wine in the making. Harvest 9 - 23 September. Ageing 16-18 months; 60% new barrels, 40% one wine (225L and 400L). Derenoncourt consultants. Drink 2025-2040.”

97 Points – James Suckling “This is marked by the chalky tannins, which are very cohesive and caressing. The ripe and dry year gave a more savory character to the wine, with notes of mussel shells, fine spices and dried orange peel coloring the fruit. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel from the vibrant, powdery tannins. Drink or hold.”