Château Grand Mayne 2018

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Grand Mayne sashays out of the glass with flashy, upfront notes of preserved plums, stewed black cherries and blackberry pie, plus hints of eucalyptus, wild sage, lavender and cloves. The full-bodied palate is seductively fruity with a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a spicy kick.

Powerful, confident, with liquorice and black cherry, this is a broad-shouldered wine just as it was en primeur. It hasn’t yet softened to fully release the tight fruit, but it holds a ton of promise.

Vibrant and fruity nose of blackberries, currants, cherries, violets, licorice and pine needles. Full-bodied with firm, broad tannins. Plenty of concentration and ripe dark fruit with a floral undertone. Try in 2023.

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc; 70% new oak. Barrel sample. Black-cherry colour. Prettily scented even though there’s black-fruit intensity on the nose. More gentle than some, with soft, thick tannins but balanced with a chocolate-textured, slightly chewy finish. Just fresh enough. (JH)

The 2018 Grand Mayne keeps everything under wraps on the nose, at least for the first 60 minutes, then it blossoms to offer gorgeous pure blackberry, briary, crushed stone and light rose petal aromas. The new oak is beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, superb acidity, gentle grip and an almost symmetrical finish of laser-like precision. An outstanding Grand Mayne, certainly one of the finest in recent years.

This is my favorite vintage of Grand Mayne yet. The wine is rich, lush, round and packed with sweet, ripe, fresh, opulent black cherries, plums and chocolate. The wine has good concentration, a nose of smoke, licorice, roasted, dark red pit fruits and a finish stocked with dusty, chocolate-covered, fresh dark plums. This is so good now. But its best day are a few years away. Start drinking this in 2028 and enjoy it for the next 15 or more years after that. Grand Mayne is not a showy style of wine. It is more like a refined, elegant version of Classic Bordeaux.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening at the rim. Delicate fine oak spice, blackberry, fresh cherry, candied orange zest. Juicy, sweet cherry, subtle nougat, integrated tannins, persistent, pleasant fruit sweetness on the finish, will improve, definite ageing potential.

Deep garnet with a purple rim. Playful wild raspberry bouquet, backed by fresh morello cherry juice. On the palate, silky texture and fine-grained extract, elegance like a ballerina. In the focused finish, red berries, juicy, with good drive—perfect for lovers of finesse! For years now on an 18 subscription – bravo!

Kunz barrel sample 19: silky, elegant, fresh, fragrant bouquet, strawberries, mint, delicate licorice. Balanced, tightly knit, elegant palate with fine, fresh fruit, plenty of good tannins, dense, finely muscular structure, long, finely bitter finish.

Silky, elegant, fresh, fragrant bouquet, strawberries, mint, delicate licorice. Balanced, tightly knit, elegant palate with fine, fresh fruit, plenty of quality tannins, dense, finely muscular structure, long, delicately bitter finish. 18/20 2025 - 2048

The 2018 Grand Mayne has a deep garnet-purple color. It delivers notes of cedar chest and new leather, over a core of ripe, juicy plums, blackberry preserves, and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm, grainy, and tightly wound, with lovely freshness and energy.

Starting in 2018, it’s a return to the past, as downy mildew wiped out a large proportion of Merlot, and the wine is largely dominated by Cabernet Franc. The vintage wears it beautifully: the wines are slender, less dense than before, and perhaps even more refined. They trade some complexity for greater structure and backbone.

The nuances of barrel ageing are clearly present in the bouquet of Grand Mayne 2018, but not in a dominant way. They are accompanied by notes of red berries and a chalky touch. On the palate, the wine is compact, fruity, juicy and racy. So much energy, tension and verve compared with the nose. A wine that will reward patience, even if it is already very inviting.

A fresh, sapid nose that transports you to the seaside in winter, with delightful salinity and crisp small fruits. The same freshness comes through clearly on the palate, delivering a juicy, mouthwatering cru full of finesse, punctuated by light cocoa bitterness, before a finish with delicious chalky tannins.

A rich, perfumed wine, this has ripe black-fruit and vanilla flavors. Dense tannins from both from the wood and the fruit add spice and smokiness to this full wine. The firmness needs to soften into the fruit, so wait to drink until 2026.