Winemaker Notes
Situated just 1km from the picturesque village of St Emilion and under the shade of two majestic cedar trees, Chateau Franc Mayne sits back from the road with stunning views over its seven hectares of vineyards. A St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, the Chateau prides itself on working in close harmony with nature and the environment. Chateau Franc Mayne is blessed with an exceptionally diverse terroir and now with impetus from its new owner and director, the Franc Mayne team is creating a wine which draws subtlety on this richness to reveal its exceptional qualities and unique character.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Franc-Mayne has a refined and detailed bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis and a touch of cedar emerging from the glass. This is a classy bouquet in the making. The palate is fresh and vibrant with succulent red berry fruit overlaying a fine lattice of tannin. Precise, focused and elegant without compromising the fruit, this is perhaps the best wine that I have tasted from this estate. Bravo! Barrel Sample: 93-95
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, stones and blueberries follow through to a full body, firm and silky tannins and a fruity finish.
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Wine Spectator
A bright, racy style, with a little blood orange tang amid the plum and raspberry fruit. Sweet spice and roasted apple wood notes fill in gently, letting the fruit keep the upper hand. Barrel Sample: 90-93 Points.
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Wine Enthusiast
Layers of new wood are very prominent in this wine. It has density and extracted tannins, while the fruit component is light, with touches of black currant and soft acidity. Barrel Sample: 88-90 Points.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.