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Chateau Larcis Ducasse Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008 750ml

size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Emilion
JD
95
DC
94
WA
93
JS
93
VM
92
WE
91
WS
90
JD
95
Rated 95 by Jeb Dunnuck
Still vibrant color, the 2008 Château Larcis Ducasse offers a beautiful bouquet of blackcurrants, leafy herbs, damp earth, and hints of forest floor. This thrilling 2008 is ripe, full-bodied, has terrific purity of fruit, and more flesh and charm than most in the vintage. It’s just now at the early stages of prime drinking and should cruise for another two decades. ... More details
Image of bottle
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Chateau Larcis Ducasse Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008 750ml

SKU 903722
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$1079.40
/case
$89.95
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 12 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
JD
95
DC
94
WA
93
JS
93
VM
92
WE
91
WS
90
JD
95
Rated 95 by Jeb Dunnuck
Still vibrant color, the 2008 Château Larcis Ducasse offers a beautiful bouquet of blackcurrants, leafy herbs, damp earth, and hints of forest floor. This thrilling 2008 is ripe, full-bodied, has terrific purity of fruit, and more flesh and charm than most in the vintage. It’s just now at the early stages of prime drinking and should cruise for another two decades.
DC
94
Rated 94 by Decanter
This is powerful and closed in on itself - you feel the austerity of limestone and the tight purity of this location and understand why Larcis is often described as one of the more ‘Left Bank’ St-Émilions. This is a vintage that is showing extremely well after 11 years, it’s packed full of cassis and liquorice and is going to age beautifully from here. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040.
WA
93
Rated 93 by Wine Advocate
The 2008 Larcis Ducasse (14.2% natural alcohol) is composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc. Although closed at present and less prodigious than I predicted two years ago, it reveals an opaque purple color, plenty of sweet fruitcake, black currant, kirsch, forest floor and earthy characteristics, a full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet tannins and a long finish. It just does not appear to have the extra gear or two I tasted from barrel. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding wine and if it is priced fairly, it should be a definite purchase to enjoy over the next 20+ years.
JS
93
Rated 93 by James Suckling
Wild and rich, with mushroom, foie gras and intense fruits. Lots of Cabernet Franc character. Full and silky, with a wonderful texture and a long caressing finish. This is chewy too. Give it four to five years of bottle age. Structured. Impressive.
VM
92
Rated 92 by Vinous Media
The 2008 Larcis-Ducasse felt a little reduced on the nose, eventually opening with black cherries, boysenberry jam and cedar scents, perhaps just a hint of VA just knocking the definition a little. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit laced with cedar, dried blood and meat juices, nicely structured and dense with plenty of freshness towards the slightly animally finish. Fascinating, ready to drink now but it will age with style. (Tasted at the château and at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual vertical tasting.)
WE
91
Rated 91 by Wine Enthusiast
90-92 Barrel sample. Big, ripe fruits, spiced with new wood, a big-hearted blackberry wine, sweet tannins, potentially generous.
WS
90
Rated 90 by Wine Spectator
Plum skin, briar and blackberry notes flesh out nicely in this version, while the finish shows more currant and licorice notes. Turns polished, thanks to well-embedded acidity. Fresh and engaging now but just a bit high-toned at the very end. This may not be suitable for extended cellaring, but should be nice to watch progress through the end of this decade.—Larcis Ducasse non-blind vertical (December 2012). Drink now through 2019. 2,580 cases made.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Emilion
Overview
Still vibrant color, the 2008 Château Larcis Ducasse offers a beautiful bouquet of blackcurrants, leafy herbs, damp earth, and hints of forest floor. This thrilling 2008 is ripe, full-bodied, has terrific purity of fruit, and more flesh and charm than most in the vintage. It’s just now at the early stages of prime drinking and should cruise for another two decades.
barrel

Vintage: 2008

2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year. Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost. However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

The wineries of Bordeaux in France are widely considered to be amongst the finest on earth, with many of the chateaux found on the Left Bank and in the Médoc region routinely demanding enormous prices and being snapped up by collectors looking to add the best examples of the world's white and red wines to their cellars. Bordeaux's secret to success comes from the fact that the terroir of the region is exceptionally rich in minerals, helped by the clay and gravel soils which typify the area and the Gironde river which runs through it. Normally humid in climate, the nearby Atlantic coast supplies cooling breezes, making Bordeaux a winemaker's dream and resulting in extremely high quality grape varietals. For hundreds of years, the wineries of Bordeaux have been mastering the art of wine blending, and today produce a wide range of wine styles using many of the sixteen grape varietals permitted to grow in the region by French law.
fields

Country: France

It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a very special sub-region found in France's Bordeaux, and is situated on the highly esteemed and world renowned right bank of the Gironde river. Here, the mineral rich gravel and clay based soils provide plenty of nutrition and character to the grape varietals which are grown, and the warm and sunny climate helps them ripen each year to their fullest. The majority of the chateaus in Saint Emilion produce blended red wines, using a carefully balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The result is something truly wonderful – finely crafted red wines which express all of the finest points of each varietal, and holding plenty of fascinating and complex character, flavors and aromas which have helped make this sub-region one of the best in the world.
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More Details
barrel

Vintage: 2008

2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year. Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost. However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

The wineries of Bordeaux in France are widely considered to be amongst the finest on earth, with many of the chateaux found on the Left Bank and in the Médoc region routinely demanding enormous prices and being snapped up by collectors looking to add the best examples of the world's white and red wines to their cellars. Bordeaux's secret to success comes from the fact that the terroir of the region is exceptionally rich in minerals, helped by the clay and gravel soils which typify the area and the Gironde river which runs through it. Normally humid in climate, the nearby Atlantic coast supplies cooling breezes, making Bordeaux a winemaker's dream and resulting in extremely high quality grape varietals. For hundreds of years, the wineries of Bordeaux have been mastering the art of wine blending, and today produce a wide range of wine styles using many of the sixteen grape varietals permitted to grow in the region by French law.
fields

Country: France

It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a very special sub-region found in France's Bordeaux, and is situated on the highly esteemed and world renowned right bank of the Gironde river. Here, the mineral rich gravel and clay based soils provide plenty of nutrition and character to the grape varietals which are grown, and the warm and sunny climate helps them ripen each year to their fullest. The majority of the chateaus in Saint Emilion produce blended red wines, using a carefully balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The result is something truly wonderful – finely crafted red wines which express all of the finest points of each varietal, and holding plenty of fascinating and complex character, flavors and aromas which have helped make this sub-region one of the best in the world.