This is good, but the bigger they are the more these wines start to homogenise and lose their individual personalities. The extraction here is confident and the fruit is brambly heading into a dark character. The firm structure is filled out with liquorice, dark chocolate and glossy tannins, but you may beg for a little more light. This is going to take its time to unfurl, that much is certain. Drink 2026 - 2040. 91 points

0% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc; 70% new oak.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. 16 points

The 2018 Grand Mayne is deep garnet-purple colored and gives up a nose of baked blackberries, prunes and raisin cake with touches of dusty soil, sautéed herbs and fungi. Full and concentrated, with a firm, chewy texture, it delivers a spicy finish. 91-93+ points

The 2018 Grand Mayne is creamy, resonant and beautifully layered. Black cherry, chocolate, sweet spice, licorice and new leather build in a deep, sumptuous Saint-Émilion loaded with character. This is very nicely done. 89-92 points

This is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. The yield was just 22 hl/ha in this vintage, the alcohol is 14%. We kick off with a dark, brooding and lightly roasted nose, with sweet black cherry fruit, lightly grilled, mixed with black olives and a touch of praline. The palate has a fine substance though, nicely defined, fresh and pure, with a solid grip but also a rather complete, polished and attractive composition. The tannins feel tightly knit, ripe and velvety, if also rather dark and a little sooty around the edges, while the substance of the fruit wrapped around them holds up well. A bold and grippy finish, nevertheless this has confident appeal. Let`s hope it can carry the slight sense of r estraint it displays here through to the bottle. The élevage will be in 70% new oak and 30% second-fill oak. 92-94 points