The vineyards of St-Emilion property Grand Mayne lie in one single block around the rather stately manor house of a chateau, on the slopes leading up to the western flank of the town. Jean-Antoine Nony has been full-time director here since 2012, and improving the vineyards has been his mission ever since. One of his first decisions was to begin a slow replanting programme, with the ultimate goal of bringing the proportion of Cabernet Franc in the vineyards back up to the 35% it was in 1934, when his grandfather acquired the property. Jean-Antoine judges that the typical freshness of Cabernet Franc is well-suited to an era of average rising temperatures. As things stand in 2025, the vineyard mix is 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, across limestone (on the upper slopes), limestone and clay (mid-slope) and sand on clay below the chateau. Only fruit from the higher two terroirs is used in the grand vin. In the vineyard he practices organic viticulture, but does not want certification (just in case he needs some chemical help) after the bitter experience of 2018, when he lost 60% of the crop to mildew. In pursuit of a slightly fresher, more tense style, he has begun picking a little earlier than in the past, and significantly dialled back the use of new oak in the cellar. As Neal Martin so succinctly notes on vinous.com, ‘Whereas once the wines of Grand Mayne knocked on the door of the elite, now they belong amongst them, something that I believe is not fully recognized by the market’. Uncorked couldn’t agree more. (NT 04/08/25)