A St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé property located north-west of the town of St-Emilion. Its handsome château was built in 1767 and since 1934 has been owned and run by the Nony family - Jean-Pierre Nony has been at the helm since 1975.
Grand Mayne has 19 hectares of vineyards, superbly sited on the edge of a limestone plateau, where the soils are rich in clay, limestone and iron. The wine is a blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled-stainless steel vats and the wine is aged in oak barriques (70% new) for 18 months.
The ubiquitous Michel Rolland is a consultant and, not surprisingly, Grand Mayne produces a deeply-coloured, richly aromatic wine which is full-bodied and lush on the palate, displaying cassis, mineral and liquorice notes with hints of vanilla

Grand Mayne is situated on one of the best sites in Saint Emilion for expression of terroir and ultimate richness/complexity. This ancient site which traces back to the 1600s, is located at an extremely high altitude and possesses clay, limestone and iron soils. Planted to 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 42 acre estate's vines average 35+ years. Robert Parker cannot say enough good things about Grand Mayne, including: 'Grand Mayne is one of the up-and-coming stars of the appellation, yet prices have remained reasonable, a fact that should be put to good use by wine consumers. These are some of the most opulent and richest wines now being made in St.-Emilion. This is a wine that can be exceptionally full-bodied, with gobs of glycerin because of the superb vineyard soil and great exposition the vineyard enjoys. If my enthusiasm for Grand Mayne seems excessive, consider the fact that the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild, after tasting the 1955 Grand Mayne at a restaurant in Belgium, immediately placed an order for several cases.' Wine Advocate Classic aromas of blueberries, cedar, vanillin, black currants, and spring flowers jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored St.-Emilion. Broad, rich, jammy fruit flavors compete with the full-bodied, highly-extracted style that exhibits moderate tannin as well as excellent overall harmony and purity. This cuvee tends to be made in a dense, chewy style, and the 2005 may ultimately rival Grand-Mayne’s brilliant 1998. Anticipated maturity: now-2022. A sleeper of the vintage! Score: 93. —Robert Parker, April 2008.

Wine Enthusiast 92-94 Barrel sample. An impressively dense wine, flowing with black fruits, firm, dark tannins and great ripe flavors. The layers of wood just hint at their supporting roles, while the acidity gives the wine a final lift. Score: 93. —Roger Voss, June 20, 2006.

Ch. La Gaffeliere 2009 St. Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux [75cl] France              

<p>Robert Parker            95 Points       

<p>An absolutely spectacular effort, the 2009 is one of the all-time great La Gaffelieres produced. One would have to go back to the 2005, 1947 or 1961 to find this level of quality from this ancient, historic vineyard planted adjacent to the walls of St.-Emilion, on the Cote Pavie. Dating back to the 1400s, this estate has been owned for over three centuries by the Malet-Roquefort family. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (in the past it was two-thirds Merlot and the rest split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), the 2009 reveals compelling elegance, tremendous intensity and opulence and more viscosity than one normally sees. While I thought the alcohol was well past 14%, the Chateau claims it is only 13.5%, which is relatively modest in this vintage. Lots of kirsch, licorice, incense, truffle, asphalt, blackberry and cassis notes dominate the aromatics and flavors of this full-bodied, viscous, fabulously pure, flamboyant St.-Emilion. Drinking it now may be considered infanticide by some consumers, but it is already attractive, and should last for 3-4 decades. Kudos to consultant Michel Rolland for fashioning one of the all-time greats from La Gaffeliere.

Ripe, sweet and fairly intense. Firm, grippy structure. A touch tighter and longer than stablemate Simard.

Château Haut-Simard 2008 Barrel sample Red (Saint-Émilion)