Sharon B

9.6

Well, here’s to still having power. I don’t want to jinx us but it seems like every time we have a hurricane we lose power! I’m stocked up and ready. I’m in central Florida, in between Gainesville and Orlando. Please pray for those who will get hit the hardest tonight! 🙏🏻 I’ve spent the past few days in our Emergency Operations Center and it’s not supposed to be good especially since the coast hasn’t cleaned up from Helene. — 2 years ago

Dean Butler

9.2

At La Belle Helene — 6 years ago

Mindy Woytasczyk

9.4

So delicious! Cherry flavors and a light finish. Had at Etoile with Helene and Ross. — 7 years ago

with Jared

Dean Butler

9.0

At La Belle Helene — 7 years ago

Dean Butler

9.0

Had at La Belle Helene with the Lackeys.Fruit forward,,high acidity,wonderful finish.Delicious wine and meal and good to catch up with friends. — 8 years ago

Tom Dare

9.2

2014 far more satisfying when it opens up. Deep respect to Helene Seiillan for her winemaking style, she pulls the deepest expression out of cab franc, Merlot, cab, and (gasp) Malbec. — 8 years ago

Jessica Cansler

9.0

Great dry Riesling. Drank during Hurricane Helene with pierogies! — 2 years ago

Dean Butler

9.1

At La Belle Helene — 6 years ago

Dean Butler

8.9

At La Belle Helene — 6 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.5

This is an amazing Chablis from Ravenau. Can’t find in the system the new restaurant by Helene Darroze, Marsan. We had her tasting menu with many sea products. This Chablis has at times the mineral and acid elements but also the nutty and decadent aspects of great Chardonnay in top notch terroir. This is an experience to have at least once. Enthusiastically recommended ! — 7 years ago

with Adriana

William Rex

9.0

Helene likes this — 8 years ago

Gideon Lansbergen

9.1

Van Helene ivm kleertjes 😉 — 8 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.1

The venerable Helene Garcin. Awesome... makes me realize how good 2014s are. So pleasant out of the gate but so much evolution yet to come — 8 years ago

Jessica Cansler

9.0

Very good table wine. Drank during Hurricane Helene — 2 years ago

John Malcolm

9.2

Very bright and refreshing! Black cherries, raspberries, and a bit of pepper. — 6 years ago

Dean Butler

9.1

Deliciously paired with roast chicken at La Belle Helene — 7 years ago

Mindy Woytasczyk

9.0

Smooth, rich, and delicious. Enjoyed with Helene and Ross ❤️ — 7 years ago

with Jared

Dean Butler

8.9

At La Belle Helene — 7 years ago

Dean Butler

9.1

Wonderful Bordeaux blend.We had at opening night of La Belle Helene..Pair wonderfully with our Beef.Made a great evening and meal and better. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I’m opening my last bottle of the 03 Larcis Ducasse after recently reading a couple of professional write ups about the wines fruit fading and to drink up. I did not find that to be the case w/ my last bottle. I found the wine to be around it’s peak form with another 5 years plus ahead. On the nose; menthol, eucalyptus, ripe; dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, plum, poached & candied strawberries, notes of blue fruits, black raspberries, cherry cola, touch herbaceous; sage & bay leaf, limestone & rich, moist, black, turned earth, crushed dry rocks, graphite, dry soil/clay with dry & fresh dark florals. The body is medium full. Tannins are 75-80% resolved. The length, structure, tension & balance are right where I’d expect them to be and are quite enjoyable. The palate is very similar to the nose. Menthol, eucalyptus, ripe; dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, plum, poached & candied strawberries, notes of blue fruits, black raspberries, cherry cola, touch herbaceous; sage & bay leaf, limestone & rich, moist, black, turned earth, crushed dry rocks, dry & very grippy, edgy minerals, Montecristo cigar, graphite, dry soil/clay with dry & fresh dark florals. The acidity is lovely and the long finish is well balanced with an even tug of war between fruit & earth with the dry earth dominate on the long set. Photos of; of their great southern exposed sunny hillside vineyard, the old craved stone entrance and Nicolas Thienpont & Stephane Derenoncourt. Producer notes & history...Chateau Larcis Ducasse began during the days of the ancient Romans, who valued the best hillside vineyards in the area. The early part of the modern era for Larcis Ducasse begins in 1893, when Henri Raba bought the Saint Emilion vineyard. After Henri Raba passed away in 1925, his wife and son Andre Raba continued managing Larcis Ducasse. His niece, Helene Gratiot Alphandery, inherited the property in 1941. She managed Chateau Larcis Ducasse until 1990. Then her son, Jacques-Olivier Gratiot took control of the property after she passed away and he remains in charge today. Chateau Larcis Ducasse remains the property of the Gratiot Alphandery family today. Prior to 2003, it had been years since the wines of Chateau Larcis Ducasse were prized by Bordeaux wine lovers. The wine had fallen out of favor, due to a lack of attention and effort. That changed in 2002 when they hired Saint Emilion consultants, Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt to turn things around and manage the estate. One of the first improvements at the property suggested by them was to create a new drainage system. The next step was to change harvesting practices. Prior to 2002, the grapes were often picked too early and over a very short duration of 2 to 3 days. Now, the harvest takes place when the fruit is ripe and picking can take as long as 2 to 3 weeks. Starting with the 2005 vintage, all work in the vineyards moved to 100% organic farming methods. The 10.85 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Larcis Ducasse is planted to 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc. This shows a slight change in the vineyard, as more Cabernet Franc has been added to the plantings since 2003. The vineyard is located just around the bend in the road from Chateau Pavie. In fact, their vines but up against each other. They are surrounded by more good producers. To the south, is Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere and La Gaffeliere, and as you move north, Chateau Troplong Mondot and Chateau Pavie. The terroir of Chateau Larcis Ducasse is a mixture of soils. The vines on the top of plateau and the slopes have a south facing exposure. At the higher elevations on the plateau, the terroir is limestone, clay and chalk soils. As you travel further down the slopes towards the terraces, the terroir is a blend of chalky limestone, marl, sand, silt and clay soil. At the base of the slopes, you find sand and clay soils. On average the vines are 35 years of age. While the older plantings were done at a vine density of 6,600 vines per hectare, as the vineyard continues to be slowly replanted, the vine density is increasing with each subsequent replanting. The new plantings are being done at 7,500 vines per hectare. They are also using budwood obtained through selection massale. The yields are kept low at Larcis Ducasse. In 2009, the effective yields were only 25 hectoliters per hectare.To produce the wine of Chateau Larcis Ducasse, the grapes are whole berry fermented. The fruit is transported by gravity flow into traditional, cement tanks for fermentation. Cuvaison takes between 25-28 days. There are no pump overs. Pigeages are conducted during fermentation. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The wine of Chateau Larcis Ducasse is then aged in 67% new, French oak barrels, which are mixed in size, between standard barrels and 500 liter French, oak casks. The wine is then aged for an average of 18 to 20 months in barrel before bottling. The production averages close to 4,000 cases depending on what the vintage gives. — 8 years ago