2018 Château Franc-Mayne

The 2018 Franc-Mayne impressed in barrel, and it fulfills its potential in bottle. It sports a clean, precise bouquet of intense blackberry, briary and light tobacco scents that gain vigor with aeration. The palate is well balanced with supple, fine tannins, pure blackberry and raspberry fruit and touches of blueberry and orange peel coming through with time. This is a deftly crafted and complex Saint-Émilion from Franc-Mayne. Excellent.

Based on 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Château Franc Mayne is a pretty, complex, medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion revealing lots of red and blue fruits, flowers, spice, and sappy herb/sous bois-like nuances. With considerable elegance and purity on the palate, this is a more ethereal, seamless wine, delivering terrific tannins, a juicy yet integrated spine of acidity, and outstanding length. It's certainly the finest wine I've tasted from this estate to date, and the 2019 also looks to be another great vintage here, so this is an estate to keep your eye on.

The 2018 Franc-Mayne is vibrant, lifted and full of energy, just as it was en primeur. Freshly cut flowers, rose petal, mint, sage and lavender abound. Medium in body and wonderfully translucent, Franc-Mayne has a ton to offer. It is one of the more elegant, classy wines of the year.