The 2018 Grand-Mayne, a Bordeaux Blend from Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France, is a notable red wine with a 14.5% alcohol content. Produced by Grand-Mayne, this vintage has garnered consistent praise from wine experts, highlighting its rich flavors and promising aging potential.
James Suckling awarded it a score of 93, describing a "vibrant and fruity nose" with notes of "blackberries, currants, cherries, violets, licorice, and pine needles." He noted its "full-bodied" nature and "firm, broad tannins," recommending it be tried in 2023 (jamessuckling.com).
Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss, also giving it 93 points, emphasized the wine's "rich, perfumed" qualities, with "ripe black-fruit and vanilla flavors." Voss pointed out the "dense tannins from both the wood and the fruit" that add "spice and smokiness." He advised waiting until 2026 to drink it for optimal enjoyment (Wine Enthusiast).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, rated this vintage at 92 points. She described it as "medium to deep garnet-purple in color" with "flashy, upfront notes of preserved plums, stewed black cherries, and blackberry pie." Perrotti-Brown highlighted its "seductively fruity" palate and "sturdy frame of chewy tannins," with a "spicy kick" on the finish (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate).
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com gave the highest score of 94, calling this his "favorite vintage of Grand Mayne yet." He praised its "rich, lush, round" profile, packed with "sweet, ripe, fresh, opulent black cherries, plums, and chocolate." Leve noted its "good concentration" and suggested starting to drink it in 2028, with potential enjoyment for 15 or more years (TheWineCellarInsider.com).
Decanter rated it 91 points, remarking on its "confident" extraction and "brambly" fruit that heads into a "dark character." The reviewer mentioned its "firm structure" filled with "liquorice, dark chocolate, and glossy tannins," though they noted a desire for more lightness (Decanter).
Lastly, Jeb Dunnuck scored it 92+, describing it as "masculine" and "age-worthy." He appreciated its "nicely concentrated" profile with "sumptuous blackberry fruits," "notes of chocolate and leafy herbs," and "firm, present, yet ripe tannins." Dunnuck suggested hiding bottles for 4-5 years, predicting it will keep for two decades (jebdunnuck.com).
Overall, the 2018 Grand-Mayne is a robust and promising Bordeaux blend, praised for its rich flavors and potential for aging, with excellent reviews from multiple reputable sources.