The 2012 Larcis Ducasse has been uncorked and other ramblings.

[JimHow]

I opened a bottle of this back in 2016 and, looking at my cellartracker notes, gave it 91 points, thinking it was solid, but I didn't seem too impressed, thought it over-alcoholic and Parkerized. It is 14.5%. Let's see how it shapes up tonight....

[JimHow]

83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% alcohol.
Hang on tight....

[JimHow]

It was great to see Howard, Lisa and Finley this week here in Lewiston.
Man, I first met Howard in the lobby of the Marriott we were staying at in Napa during the 2002 Napa convention...
Nearly 20 years ago. Damn.
L'incident de la tarte a la coque occurred later that night.
It's amazing how many from those early days are still here, more than two decades later!
One who is not still with us, sadly, is Dennis "Setab" Bates, with whom Nicola and I sipped a bottle that same afternoon in that same lobby.

Quiz question, Nicola: Do you remember the bottle we drank in the lobby that Saturday afternoon with stab?

[JimHow]

I've been watching a lot of George Carlin, Christopher Hitchens, and Brittney Spears videos lately on YouTube...
So what do you think... Free Brittney? There must be a scenario where she gets to spend more money weekly than her lawyer, no?
Or her father's lawyer, no?
I'm no probate lawyer but it seems to me she should be able to afford a fancy dinner in L.A. every now and then... Or anyplace else, for that matter.

[JimHow]

When BWE was formed in February 2000, the U.S. was not in Afghanistan and the Taliban was ruling.
Twenty one years later, the U.S. is not in Afghanistan and the Taliban is ruling. Ah yes. We are great at war, we Americans, no?
I was actually on the BWE site on that Tuesday morning in September 2001, when my computer froze up.
I think I was the first to post on the site that morning, with MichaelP right behind me, Michael predicting within minutes after it happened that there would be hard times ahead for Afghanistan.
I was divorced a couple months before 9/11 and I remember being on the phone with my ex-wife, the computers were down in her fancy office up in Augusta and I was feeding information to her and her fancy information tech crew from the UHF feed on the tiny little black and white six inch screen TV in my office on Lisbon Street, hovering over it with my two secretaries as the second tower went down, I remember the ex bitching at me because I had told her that there were reports that the State Department had been attacked... not to be the case... but whipping the messenger nonetheless that I had given her misinformation that I had heard direct from the voice of Charlie Gibson.... Geez. What an awful day. Are we better off today than we were on that awful day? I don't think so. I think, generally, we are worse off.

[JimHow]

Charlie Gibson...
To me, one of the best journalists we've ever produced.
He was mean on both sides, kind of like Tim Russert.
He helped save us from Sarah Palin.
Everyone remembers the Katie Couric interview of the Alaska gov, check out Charlie's interview sometime, I can't remember whether he came before or after Katie.

[JimHow]

The Charlie Gibson-Sarah Palin interview in Fairbanks.
Man, I'm familiar with those streets....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ALsjhDDdaA

[JimHow]

This was the interview in which Charlie asked, "Do you believe in the Bush doctrine?"

You know, I re-watched this interview. I need to re-watch the Couric interview. Frankly, I don't think she did as badly as I think history remembers. And I'm skeptical that, say, Biden or Harris or Ryan would have done much better, if pressed.

As Timmy and other BWEers know, I'm no fan of Hillary. One thing I DID like, though, was when Hillary actually defended fellow female Sarah Palin...

And don't forget... Sarah more than held her own in the VP debate against Joe.

[JimHow]

Couldn't bring myself to re-watch the actual Couric interview, but I started to watch some of the SNL "Couric-Palin" interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HsyEvr5Pnw

You know, I'm a libtard, I'm an atheist who despises the Bible-thumping south and the war monger, racist, gun-toting, voter-suppressing, crazy Jesus freak populace out there, but...

You can kind of see why the rest of the country hates the rest of us east/west coasters and our arrogant puke woke know it all culture, personified in the skits of the once great SNL.

[JimHow]

Oh, wait, the Bordeaux....

This wine has DEFINITELY settled down since 2016.
At first, I said it was like a great, racy, California merlot.
But a wine like this is why we love Bordeaux, why we are Bordeaux wine enthusiasts.
I can definitely see why traditionalists and modernists alike might equally loathe this wine at the same time.
Me, I'm a Bordeaux wine enthusiast. So, I am thrilled to taste a wine like this -- I mean, come on... 83% merlot and 17% cabernet franc from the right bank of that region they call "Bordeaux".... I mean, come on, man.... How bad can it be?

I think this wine has settled beautifully into a very balanced place. I see absolutely no over-exuberance of alcohol, as I did, apparently, back in 2016. The wine is still young, fresh, vital, the color is youthful, it is "Californian" but in the best way that California merlot can be, ripe, aromatic, fruity, sensuous, inviting.

This wine is lovely....

It definitely merits an upgrade from the 91 I scored it back in 2016, and remove any concerns about excessive alcohol, I'm getting none of that from this wine tonight.

A very solid 93+ points. Delicious. Bravo! Enjoy it over at least the next decade, likely more. I'm happy to have one more bottle of the 2014 in my cellar, will look for a bottle or two of the 2019.

[JimHow]

It is a sassy, I don't give a fuck what you think about me, Sarah-Palin-like kind of Bordeaux.... Yeah baby.

[JimHow]

I'm curious what Izak thinks about a wine like this.

[OrlandoRobert]

It is a sassy, I don't give a fuck what you think about me, Sarah-Palin-like kind of Bordeaux.... Yeah baby.

You drunk, puttin lipstick on a pig!

[Claudius2]

Jim
Izak gave it 91 points.
That was as a very young wine, I think based on an unfinished sample so your rating in 2016 concurs with his.
Cheers
Mark

[Racer Chris]

It is a sassy, I don't give a fuck what you think about me, Sarah-Palin-like kind of Bordeaux.... Yeah baby.

I never thought much of SP so I suppose I should avoid LD as well.

[JimHow]

I liked it. Like the 2012 Beau-Sejour Becot I had recently, I thought it was in a good place at the nine year mark, with some evolution but still very fresh with lovely fruit. The 14.5% alcohol had definitely toned down.

[JimHow]

Sarah Palin is one of those characters, like Clarence Thomas, who reminds us not to go overboard in praising so-called “moderate” Republicans like old man Bush and John McCain. There’s a lot of revisionism in remembering H.W. but he brought us the likes of Thomas, Lee Atwater, Willie Horton, etc. Likewise, anyone who could pick Sarah Palin as his running mate ain’t no moderate.

[Gerry M.]

Interesting to hear your perspective since Ive got 4 bottles of 15' sitting in the cellar. Maybe I'll crack the 375ml in a year or so.

[AKR]

Some years ago claret and I (among others) had a 1998 Larcis Ducasse, which I think he termed as 'proper'.

I think that was before the estate had amped up their selection, wine making.

This estate is one that should consider freshening up their label to reflect their current status.

[Gerry M.]

Interesting to hear your perspective since Ive got 4 bottles of 15' sitting in the cellar. Maybe I'll crack the 375ml in a year or so.

So much for waiting a year, I couldn't even make it a month! I just popped my 2015 375ml,lol.

[JimHow]

Looking forward to your note, G.
I’m guessing it’s young.