David Kline

9.2

Chocolate brownie and mud puddle, baked mincemeat pie with light spicing, vanilla seed, coffee bean, thyme. Silky mouthfeel showing cherrywood and crispy bay leaf, earl grey tea, fallen oak, coffee soaked puffball mushroom, smoky pencil, peppercorn and lavender. A pleasure from end to end, and focused.



#branaireducru #bordeaux #grandcruclassé #grandcruclasséen1855 #stjulien #quatrèmescru — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

My first bottle opening of a 2009 Bordeaux. We’ve tasted a number of 2009’s, this is the first one we’ve opened. Showing the glory of 2009, even in a lesser bottling. I’ll say it again, for the value buyer of Bordeaux’s, buy good producers second, third or other wines. 2009, perhaps, the best Bordeaux vintage since 1982.

Good first look to judge better more expensive, quality producers of 2009 Bordeaux wines for when to best open your first. I would say those need another 8-10 years more in bottle to have them fully shine to buying expectations.

Family member from the Jean-Michel Cazes family that brings us Lynch Bages.

The 2009 shows better on its own than with our Wagyu Ribcap.

It simply shows the elegant beauty of the vintage. It brings similarities to 1982.

It shows velvet tannins with ripe, ruby fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, poached strawberries & raspberries. Bay leaf, wet clay, dark spice with heat, limestone, dry, crushed rocks, nutmeg, clove, soft cinnamon & understated vanillin, black licorice, dry twig, spearmint, tough leather, dry tobacco, graphite, oak barrel shavings with fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, purple florals. Acidity for days. Straight up; lush, well knitted and balanced finish that persists nicely for minutes.

Photos of; Chateau Ormes de Pez, Saint-Estephe vineyard, inside the Chateau-breakfast room and their barrel room.

1/15/21 — 4 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Medium to light mix of garnet and ruby red. Layered nose with rhubarb, twigs, very floral, cherries and a little toasty. Medium plus acidity (7/10) and light plus body. Builds up a bit on the palate in weight with notes of strawberries, raspberries, earthiness, and a little leather. Long finish while keeping the acidity and balance together. Drink till 2028. (92+)

Made up of 100% Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast AVA near the Bodega Bay. Aged in 10% new French oak (four year, air dried) and 90% neutral French oak barrels. Additionally, this bottling goes through extended maceration and is 80% whole cluster pressed. — 7 years ago

with India

Colin Cahoon

9.5

Earthy and savory notes with barnyard funk and French oak on the nose. Dark cherry, menthol, strawberry jam, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, cranberry, earthy minerals, and cedar on the palate. Medium alcohol, medium light tannins, and high acid. — 3 years ago

with Susan and James

Shay A

9.3

Weekly Wine Committee. 1 sparkler, 3-4 whites, 3-4 reds and 1 dessert wine format. Served blind.

I called this left bank Bordeaux from the get go. It showed a ripe side at first but quickly settled in to some saddle leather, pepper, tar, tobacco and bay leaf. Power is in the mid palate and finish here as tannins were still strong. Black tea, black cherry, oak and a streak of greeness down the palate. No rush. — 6 years ago

with Dan and Will

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

On the nose; dark currants, stewed styled blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, blueberries top nose, black raspberries, strawberries haunt here & there, semi-sweet tarry notes, dark chocolate, dry clay, loamy dry top soil, leather, lead pencil shavings, cedar, black tea, decayed red florals with fresh violets.

The palate is full bodied. Tannins rounded, dusty and 40% resolved. The structure is still big & bold, tension tight, balance is getting there and the length is in a good place with better evolution ahead. Dark currants, stewed styled blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, blueberries top nose, black raspberries, strawberries haunt here & there, semi-sweet tarry notes, dark chocolate, hint of mocha powder, vanilla, medium spice, dry stems, bay leaf, dry black turned earth, dry clay, loamy dry top soil, leather, lead pencil shavings, cedar, black tea, decayed red florals with fresh violets. The acidity is a little light but not bad. The long, drier, balanced finish is developing but needs another 5-8 years to reveal its best self.

Photos of; Owner Michel Bortolussi, small barrel room & Chateau Lucia exterior.

Producer notes and history...the owner of Lucia, Michel Bortolussi, got his start in the Bordeaux wine business selling equipment needed to make wine to all the top producers and winemakers in Bordeaux.
However, his strongest customer base were the numerous Chateau’s located in the Saint Emilion. Michel Bortolussi knee that if so many of his customers could produce great wine, he could as well. One of his best clients was wine consultant, Stephane Derenoncourt. That relationship was the start of Chateau Lucia.

Before Bortolussi and Stephane Derenoncourt teamed up to create Chateau Lucia. The wine was formally sold under the name of Chateau Lucie before Michel Bortolussi changed the name to Lucia.

The first vintage for Lucia was made in 2001. In 2012, Chateau Lucia was sold to Enzo Ide, a Belgian businessman.

Enzo Ide has retained the same technical team for their Right Bank vineyards and wine making. Enzo Ide also owns another vineyard, Chateau La Rousselle in the Fronsac appellation.

The 4.3 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Chateau Lucia is planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Lucia has some of the oldest vines in Bordeaux. In fact, some of the vines date all the way back to 1901. They also have two other sections of vineyard with vines that are on average 30 years of age.

The younger vines are situated close to Chateau Monbousquet. Those vines are planted in more of the sandy terroir with some clay in the soils. Overall, the vineyard has a terroir of clay and limestone soils. The vines are planted to a vine density of 5,500 vines per hectare.

There is a lot of intensive labor that takes place at Chateau Lucia. To produce Chateau Lucia, the berries are harvested by hand. The fruit is sorted twice before fermentation. The grapes are whole berry fermented in small open-top, oak tanks that range in size from 30 to 50 hectoliters.

Everything in the small cellars is moved by gravity. Malolactic fermentation takes place in french oak barrels. The wine is aged on its lees in an average of 60% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 18 months, depending on the character and quality of the vintage.

The production of Lucia is small at about 1,250 cases depending on what the vintage gives.

The 09 while tasty after opening up over an hour, still needs another 6-8+ years in bottle to be all it can be. Drink 2024-33. — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.7

The 2018 Figeac continues to not put a toe, let alone a foot, wrong under head winemaker Frédéric Faye. The bottle is closed initially, and in fact it was only the following morning that it began to unfold and reveal its true character. Quintessential Figeac on the nose, it offers blackberry, briar, pencil shavings courtesy of the Cabernet Sauvignon, and touch of terracotta. Beautifully defined, as we have come to expect these days; I might well confuse it for a Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied and has soaked up the 100% new oak. Lithe tannins render this more approachable than the Figeacs of yesteryear, yet it maintains the same DNA. Elegant and refined, it gently fans out with pure, slightly tertiary black fruit and traces of clove and bay leaf. To quote my conclusion from barrel, it is still "cool, calm and collected" on the finish. Divine. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 4 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.1

Saturday night and I have been requested to try this 2015 Château Laffitte-Carcasset St. Estéphe Bordeaux Blend. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc.

On the nose I am getting black cherry, black raspberry, plum, black currant, licorice, tar, spice, herbs, violet and smoky oak.

The palate reveals black cherry, black raspberry, black plum, black currant, violet, bay leaf, spice, herbs, licorice, a touch of oak and fresh tilled soil.

This wine has a full bodied sandy mouth feel with medium + acidity and medium + crunchy mouth coating tannins that leads to a long fresh finish. For a Cru Bourgeois this wine has it going on. A very nice St. Estéphe Medóc that I would recommend to anyone. Still a bit green and has another good 5-15 shelf life. I am glad it was recommended to me by a good friend and I would say is a good QPR. Enjoy your weekend and stay safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 6 years ago

Michael Winterbottom

9.7

Tart black and blue fruit all over this wine. A little tense still but it expresses layer over layer of leather, dark chocolate, rain on asphalt/petrichor. Fresh bay leaf/green peppercorn green tones. Plenary of oak character but well integrated and used with taste. This bottle still needs time for me but will always be the pinnacle of the appellation. What a wine man. — 6 years ago

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. — 7 years ago