The 2012 Larcis Ducasse has been uncorked….

[JimHow]

As far as I know, I have never had this wine before….

[JimHow]

14.5% and it seems every bit present at the outset.

[JimHow]

Got back involved in politics yesterday for the first time in over 20 years, battling an existential crisis facing my home town….

http://wgme.com/news/local/group-meets- ... urn-merger

It's tough being Jim How, constantly having to save the world!

[JimHow]

I was just watching a Prince video on youtube and now he's been rushed to a hospital by ambulance….

[DavidG]

Back home after an emergency landing and hospital visit. Bad case of flu/exhaustion?

[JimHow]

That's good. Saw him at the Boston Garden once, he puts on quite a performance. Underrated guitarist too.

[JimHow]

The alcohol seems to be calming down. I'm not sure how much I would like this in a big 2005, 2009, 2010 type of vintage. In 2012 it seems to be working, though.

[JimHow]

Boy, these 2012s are addictive. They are turning me on to the right bank! This is a Jean-Nicolas Maltais kind of wine….

[JimHow]

This 2012 Larcis Ducasse is nice but at $67 it is not worth the 2012 Barde Haut at $26, 2012 La Fleur de Bouard at $29, etc., etc. Not a ton of personality here. Clearly it has class. The 14.5% doesn't seem too overwhelming but it is ever-present. And we'll see how my head feels in the morning. I would have bought another 6 bottles if I really liked it. Instead, I'll buy one more bottle out of curiosity to see how it has developed in about ten years. I'll give it the same 91 points I gave to the 2012 Corbin, Haut Bergey, Barde Haut, La Fleur de Bouard, etc. An excellent wine, mind you. It's like those other wines with just a bit more substance, a significantly more pronounced alcohol presence, and a higher price. A real Parker kind of wine. And a classy effort. Just not something that gets me too roused up. 91 points.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

How are these wines balance wise? Ripe? do they lean to the acidic side of the spectrum?

[JimHow]

These wines seem to have beautiful balance. Just enough acidity and tannic structure to keep them fresh. This was a beautiful wine as well like the others, I was just a little less enthusiastic about it because of the slightly higher alcohol and the price that is more than double the others. Otherwise, another enthusiastic two thumbs up from 2012R.

[AKR]

I've never had one but have admired the older labels, for their beauty.

Yet last night we had an 89 Font du Loup CNDP which had to have one of the plainest labels I can remember, esp. in the So. Rhone



And it was excellent.

[Blanquito]

This 2012 Larcis Ducasse is... $67

We can thank Parker for that. After he went gaga over the 2003 and subsequent vintages, it's price skyrocketed. Used to be cheap.

[Nicklasss]

I will uncork a 2012 Les Hauts de Smith tonight.

I can't remember if it is the vintage we had before dinner at the Chateau, but I liked the Les Hauts we had there!

Nic

[AKR]

This 2012 Larcis Ducasse is... $67

We can thank Parker for that. After he went gaga over the 2003 and subsequent vintages, it's price skyrocketed. Used to be cheap.

Well to be fair, it was probably a lighter, larger production wine then.