Franc Mayne - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2020

Alexandre Ma

92

byAlexandre Mathe4/18/2023

Wine Advocate

94

byWilliam Kelleythe4/6/2023

The 2020 Franc-Mayne has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless palate of real class and purity. Vibrant and polished, with vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, perfumed finish, it's further evidence that this is an estate on the rise.

Wine Spectator

91

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2023

This has a pretty mix of violet and cassis laced into a darker plum core, while lively anise and black tea details add to the finish. Nice streamlined finish. Drink now through 2035. 1,600 cases made, 900 cases imported.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/30/2023

A pretty, floral, exotic 2020, the 2020 Château Franc Mayne has ample red and blue fruits as well as flowery incense, orange blossom, and sandalwood notes in a medium to full-bodied, silky, elegant, already irresistible package. While it's not massive, it has terrific concentration and intensity, supple tannins, and a great finish. It's going to evolve gracefully for 15 years or more.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

Spicy black cherries, smoke, flowers, cigar box, dark red fruits and espresso bean shine with ease in the perfume. Elegant, fresh, vibrant and refined, the wine is medium-bodied, lifted and ends with ample minerality and dark chocolate covered plums on the backend that keep on going. This could be the finest vintage of Franc Mayne ever produced. Drink from 2024-2045.

Alexandre Ma

92

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Wines Critic

93

byRaffaele Vecchionethe3/10/2023

Vibrant and rich showing notes of cherries, cumin and mixed blue flowers. Full bodied, smooth and essential showing notes of hibiscus and marjoram and a linear finale. Better from 2025.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Franc Mayne is dense, resonant and beautifully explosive in the glass. Sumptuous dark red/purplish fruit, rose petals, mint and lavender all saturate the palate. This heady Saint-Émilion really delivers the goods. There's plenty of energy and tension to balance the more forward nature of the Merlot. Superb.

Vinous

92

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Franc-Mayne still possesses that rather "serious" bouquet that demands encouragement from the glass: blackberry and briary, light undergrowth scents filtering through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, fresher and more tensile than it showed out of barrel with a slightly powdery, minerally finish. This is very promising.

Jamessuckling.com

91

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

Aromas of freshly crushed berries, dried herbs, violets and walnuts follow through to a medium body with fine-grained tannins and a juicy red fruit character. Vivid finish. 100% merlot. Drink or hold.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

93

byJane Ansonthe1/16/2023

A good quality Franc Mayne, lovely balance of bright berry fruit and a kick of freshness and chalky, slate-scraping tannins. An excellent example of this wine. Thomas Savare owner, and this was the last year with director Martine Cazenave in charge before retirement. Winemaker Sophie Mage used to work with Artemis Estates in the Rhône, ageing in a mix of new oak barrels, wood casks, amphoras and ovoid concrete vats. Rolland Laboratory consultants.

Vinous

93-95

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Franc-Mayne is an exotic, heady wine. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and espresso lend an air of dark, sepia-toned beauty throughout. Plush, silky and generous, the 2020 is wonderfully deep and layered. Those qualities continue to emerge effortlessly over time. This large-scaled, ample Saint-Émilion has so much to offer.

Jeb DUNNUCK

92-94

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

The 2020 Château Franc Mayne is a dense, rich, powerful Saint-Emilion based mostly on Merlot, although it includes a splash of Cabernet Franc. Lots of ripe black fruits, iodine, iron, and leafy herb notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and just a mouth-filling, satisfying style that should keep for two decades or more.

Vinous

89-91

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Franc-Mayne has quite a serious bouquet, backward at first, the opening to offer blackberry, bilberry and candied orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, and quite sweet and fleshy, although I would like to see more tension and grip on the rather glossy finish by the time of bottling. Two bottles tasted, one showing a little more persistence than the other.

Decanter.com

92

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Polished, juicy and with grip. A little austere right now, but this has layered blueberry and black cherry fruits, drawn out by waves of liquorice and slate. Last year with director Martine Cazenave in charge before retirement. Winemaker Sophie Mage used to work with Artemis Estates in the Rhône. 18 months in new oak barrels, wood casks, amphoras and ovoid concrete vats.

The Wine Cellar Insider

91-93

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Flowers, spice, wet earth, cigar box, dark red fruits and spice come through on the nose with ease. On the medium-bodied palate. the wine is fresh, sweet, juicy, refined and elegant, finishing with soft, polished, silky red fruits. 91-93

Wine Advocate

91-93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Franc-Mayne has a powerful nose of baked black cherries, stewed plums and boysenberry preserves, plus hints of mocha, hoisin and tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate has impressive freshness to lift the rich, ripe black fruits, supported by soft, rounded tannins, finishing with lingering exotic spice notes.

Anthocyanes

94-96

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Réduit, le nez s'impose par des notes d'iris, de violette, de bourgeon de cassis. Un peu atramentaire. Très beau toucher de bouche, frais et délicat, juteux à souhait avec un grain très précis et une fraicheur mentholée émotionnelle. Très belle linéarité d'ensemble avec une texture cristalline. Ce vin s'exprime plus en bouche qu'au nez actuellement mais reste une valeur sure. Grande Précision d'ensemble. Bravo !

Falstaff

91-93

byPeter Moserthe5/10/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife Pflaumen, schwarze Kirschen, feine tabakige Nuancen, ein Hauch von kandierten Or- angenzesten, etwas Nougat. Saftig, feine Fruchtsüße, elegant, frische Säurestruktur, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, ein stoffiger Speisenbegleiter,

My Bettane + Desseauve

92-93

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

90-91

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

This is a medium-bodied red with blackberry and walnut character. Rather subdued on the finish.