Château Larcis Ducasse: Vineyards
Château Larcis Ducasse is located to the southeast of St Emilion, to the east of Château Pavie, on the Côte de Pavie. Neighbours include, up on the slopes above, Château Pavie-Decesse, Château Troplong-Mondot and Château Bellevue-Mondotte, while continuing along the côte to the east of Château Larcis Ducasse lies Château Bellefont-Belcier.
The domaine covers 11.3 hectares altogether, the vines planted on all points of the slope. Beginning on the plateau, limestone naturally dominates, and here the rock in question is the desirable calcaire à astéries. Moving down the slope, this gives way to the deeper stratum of Molasses du Fronsadais. In each case there are superficial soils, with a meagre coating of red iron-rich clay on the plateau, lower down a degraded limestone and clay. Towards the bottom of the slope the material is more colluvial in nature, the result of erosion and the downwards slip of material, mixed with clay again. The vineyards run down as far as the D245, the road that runs parallel to the côtes, although there are also two parcels on the far side of the road, directly opposite the château. In order to protect against further erosion, there has been some limited terracing of the vineyards behind the château, with retaining walls built of stone (pictured), particularly to the eastern side.
The vines are 83% Merlot, the balance being 17% Cabernet Franc, and although there used to be a small percentage of the vineyard given over to Cabernet Sauvignon this now appears to have been replaced. The average age of the vines is 38 years, and the latest plantings go in at a density of 9,000 pieds per hectare, replacing parcels previously planted at a density of 7,500 pieds per hectare, which themselves replaced less dense older plantings, which were 5,500 pieds per hectare. The vineyard is managed on a sustainable basis, with light ploughing to aerate of the soil and interplanting with cereals in the winter.
