As the harvest draws to a close and effervescence reigns in the winery, let’s talk to David Suire, our Technical Director, about the profile of this turbulent vintage.
How is the harvest going?
Perfectly! It’s an “easy” harvest, because when you taste the berries, it’s obvious when it’s time to pick. It’s a year in which everything’s coming together: the fruit is radiant, while the tannins are refined. Rarely have we seen such perfect synchronicity between aromatic ripeness and ripeness of skins and pips.
2023 was an early harvest year, due to higher-than-average temperatures throughout the year. We started harvesting on September 14 under sunny skies, and we’re due to finish around September 25, after a short spell of rain of no consequence.
“It’s a year in which everything’s coming together: the fruit is brilliant, while the tannins are refined.”
How was the choice of harvest dates decisive this year?
The grapes could develop very quickly. It was important not to overshoot the mark in terms of fruit brightness. The risk was to lose this aromatic expression, to have a duller fruit, hence the importance of regularly visiting the vines to taste the grapes, aiming for the peak of brightness.
What are the characteristics of the 2023 vintage at Larcis Ducasse?
On the Larcis terroir, it’s a multi-faceted vintage. We’ve been positively surprised, with an outcome that promises to be very happy. Spring pushed us to the limit, but the harvest augurs well for a great wine. In this respect, the work of our team is to be commended. Among the challenges encountered, we recall a succession of rainy spells, constant humidity combined with fairly high temperatures, conducive to the virulence of mildew, and a few thunderstorms which we were lucky to escape. Fortunately, the harvest was not at all affected by this chaotic spring. It was the summer months, particularly August and September, that shaped the vintage. The warm averages were salutary in the context of a generous harvest. Above all, we’ll remember the excellent ripening conditions, which swept away the rainy spring conditions to bring us full-bodied, mature fruit. The proof: it’s still a little early to tell, but this may well be the best harvest in terms of quantity since 2016! Once again, some terroirs have fared better than others, particularly those benefiting from quality clays, as is the case at Larcis Ducasse. It must also be said that weather conditions in Bordeaux were very uneven.
“It was the summer months, particularly August and September, that built the vintage.”
What kind of wine profile can we expect from Larcis Ducasse this year?
When you bite into the grapes, you find delicate floral aromas and flavors of white and red fruits. At the same time, the terroirs have left their mark on the character of the grapes. We can therefore expect a particularly fresh aromatic profile, sharp wines with well-preserved acidity. By now, we’re used to slightly hot vintages. Summer heat spikes don’t necessarily mean opulence or cooked fruit! Sugar levels have been well distributed thanks to the generosity of the vines, and pH levels look relatively low. The first tastings are promising.
