1990 Larcis Ducasse
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Tasting notes
Clearly fully mature and, I suspect, slightly past its prime, the 1990 Château Larcis Ducasse is nevertheless a satisfying Saint-Emilion offering a garnet hue as well as mature red and black fruits interwoven with plenty of spice, leather, and dried herb-like aromatics. Medium-bodied and supple, with its tannins completely resolved on the palate, this regal old gal isn't getting any better, but it sure offers a delicious, enjoyable drinking experience.
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More reviews and scores
The 1990 Larcis Ducasse has an open knit bouquet that lacks the vigour, touches of singed leather and orange rind. The palate is medium-bodied with leathery red fruit, slightly dry tannins with some fatigue on the finish. It sadly epitomizes an estate that needed a kick up the backside...and that would eventually come. Tasted at the Larcis Ducasse vertical in Bordeaux.
The 1990 Larcis Ducasse has not aged evenly. All of the elements occupy their own space as the wine has begun to fall apart. The aromatics are fully mature, while the tannins have never softened. Even so, there is good depth to the fruit and more freshness on the palate than in the bouquet. The 1990 will likely still hold for a few years, but any future drinking will happen past its peak.
The 1990 is a wine of impressive richness, with a spicy, cedary, cassis-scented nose, a creamy, velvety texture, and rich, full-bodied flavors. There are layers of fruit supported by moderate tannins. A little more concentration and this wine could have been monumental. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2008.
About the producer
Over the last two decades, Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire have forged this estate’s reputation – crafting increasingly impressive wines from its 11 hectares of south-facing slopes on clay-limestone soils.