An ideal geographical location, a vineyard on a human scale with a highly experienced technical team, welcome to Château Larcis Ducasse.
History
The first traces of the castle Larcis Ducasse go back to the end of the 16th century, a time when the wines of the property are already recognized. Moreover, many people cite it as one of the biggest in Saint-Émilion, proof that the best already knew how to stand out from the competition.
In 1867 the first consecration will arrive, on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of Paris, the wines of the castle will be rewarded with a gold medal. The owner of the time is called Pierre Ducasse.
In 1893, Henri Raba acquired the property. Descended from a family of shipowners and merchants in Bordeaux, he invested a large part of his fortune there, being aware that he was the owner of a renowned château, which already produced great wines. Cuvier gravitaire, revolutionary for the time, press on rail, it will be quite avant-gardist but above all will not look to the expense so that its property remains among the most recognized of the appellation. Today, it is his descendants who are still at the head of the castle, the Gratiot-Attmane family.
However, in 2002, the owner family decided to appoint Nicolas Thienpont as head of the castle. He will arrive on the right bank, accompanied by David Suire, Stéphane Derenoncourt (oenologist) and Julien Lavenu (oenologist). He will bring all his experience and expertise.
It is in 2012, ten years after the arrival of the quator, that the castle will logically be promoted to the rank of 1st Grand cru classé of the appellation, a real reward for Nicolas Thienpont who managed to bring the wines of Larcis Ducasse to the top of the appellation. Nevertheless, in 2024, wishing to devote himself to the other property of which he is also the director (Pavie Macquin castle), he will retire and leave the reins to David Suire, his right-hand man from always Larcis.
Throughout the history of the estate, many investments have been made with the objective of maintaining a level of demand worthy of producing the greatest wines from the right bank.
An exceptional soil
With an area of 11 hectares, it is a real vineyard on a human scale. Its neighbours are none other than the illustrious castles Pavie and Bellefont-Belcier.
The vineyard is divided into three particular geological formations:
- The plateau: the soil is mainly composed of limestone to asterias.
- The great coast or Côte de Pavie, in terraces: clay-limestone soil.
- The foot of the coast: soil composed of molasses, sand covered by a sandy-clay soil.
Several types of clay have been found on the vineyard: red, blue, white and grey.
A wealth of soils that allows to produce wines with different profiles but complementary during the assemblage, where everyone can express themselves.
The southern exposure of the vineyard ensures that the clusters benefit from an ideal sunshine in order to reach a perfect maturity. The proximity to the Dordogne, on the other hand, allows to be cut off from the winds, a microclimate is installed. It is therefore logical that, in the summer, at night, the freshness spreads in the vineyard.
The plots of land on the coast of Pavia are planted in terraces, surrounded by stones. The cultivated grapes will produce singular, expressive wines that, during the final blend, are the very essence of the wines of the property. For the technical teams, these are the most beautiful plots.
In addition to having a great wealth of different soil types, the vineyard is crossed by water sources. Irrigation is therefore ideal and allows, during scorching summers, such as in 2022 for example, to have a soil always well supplied with water, an essential factor to avoid any water stress for the vine.
The vineyard is made up of 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc, typical of the right bank. The average age of the vineyard is about 35 years.
The cultivation of plots is reasoned, in the greatest respect for its terroir. Working today for tomorrow, thinking about the changing climate in order to adapt to it in the best possible way. The efforts of the vineyard teams are mainly focused on bringing life back to the heart of the plots, which is a good indicator of the health of the vineyard. As proof, the sowing between rows, several benefits to this: limitation of the development of mildew, reservoir of freshness on hot summer days, etc.
It is above all a healthy vineyard, dedicated to the cultivation of grapes for the production of exceptional wines.
Work in the cellar
The time of harvest has come, and you can feel the spirit that animates the wines of Larcis Ducasse. The bunches are harvested at perfect maturity, keeping the purest expression of the fruit, in its freshness, leaving aside the overmaturity, which would be detrimental to it. It will take, on average, 5 to 6 days to harvest all the plots.
Once sorted manually on the table, the grapes are introduced by gravity into concrete vats. The wine cellar dates from the 19th century, built according to the idea of Henri Raba, recently owner of the place, quite avant-garde for the time, it must be admitted. There are as many tanks as there are plots. The goal is to be able to work in parcels. Soft macerations, pigeages, remontages, everything is done to keep the maximum freshness while having an extraction of tannins full of finesse.
Once the vinifications are completed, it is time for aging. The wines will therefore integrate a superb cellar, rebuilt in 2022. Several containers are used: oak barrels of 225 liters, 500 liters, casks and winegobes. The latter allow to be inert and to keep only the fruit without bringing woody notes.
Regarding the barrels, 50% are made of new wood, the remaining 50% being from 1, 2 to 3 wines. At Larcis Ducasse, we want to limit the impact of wood on wines. This diversity of containers allows us to adapt as best as possible to the different vintages, while preserving the idea of the wines of the property, namely, fruit, freshness with a perfect expression of its terroir and elegant tannins of remarkable finesse.
Finally, at the Château Larcis Ducasse, two wines are produced: 1st Grand cru classified B and a second wine named Murmure de Larcis Ducasse.
A vineyard of human size, on a singular terroir, managed by an exceptional team, the wines of the property are today among the best in the appellation.