CHÂTEAU FRANC MAYNE

The 2023 Franc Mayne is a plush, exotic Saint-Émilion. Rose petal, raspberry jam, mocha, licorice and chocolate infuse the 2023 with notable depth. This plush, extroverted Saint-Émilion is quite forward and racy—quite the charmer. Franc Mayne is all Merlot, but it has very strong aromatic and saline signatures that recall Franc. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2030 - 2043 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

The aromatics here are perfumed with bright red cherry, peony and dark chocolate, and there is a fairly firm wrapping of oak here as well. The palate shows a charming texture, lightly juicy, open and expressive, with perfumed notes of peony and toast, but also a lot of spirity new oak on the first sample I tasted. Happily, less so on the second sample. Indeed, the second sample showed quite differently, as I found a lot domineering tannin clamping down on the finish on the first, and it felt overworked and richly oaked. The second sample presented the same rather juicy and crystalline fruits, with plenty of more tightly knit tannins, but without the same oak domination in the middle or end. A third sample was back to the oak again. A little difficult to judge with this much variation, but I have done what I can. Tasted three times. Rating: 89-91 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Exhibiting aromas of raspberries, sweet cherries, baking spices and licorice, the 2023 Franc-Mayne is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with good depth at the core, a suave, seamless profile and a mineral, mouthwatering finish. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)