Château Franc Maillet - Pomerol 2014

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Beautiful fullness on the attack, supported by a straight, elegant structure.

About the domain :

Pomerol abounds in little-known treasures which, at their best, easily rival the wines of its most prestigious châteaux. Just a stone's throw from l'Évangile, the Maillet sector slopes gently down to the small Barbane stream that separates Pomerol from Néac, and boasts a number of charming artisan crus, such as Franc-Maillet. The Arpin family applies good peasant viticultural principles here, and rightly isolates a very old Merlot vine on fairly clayey soil. Their wines do not pale in comparison with those of Petrus or Trotanoy in great vintages, and Jean-Luc Thunevin makes no mistake in offering them in his Saint-Émilion boutiques.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The flagship of the family: 5.6 ha of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc planted on siliceous-gravelly soils and a clay subsoil. It stands out for its consistency. The 2014 vintage takes it to new heights. Its strengths? A deep, youthful color, tending towards black; an expressive, charming bouquet, combining ripe berries, morello cherry, sweet spices with a fine woodiness, and above all that touch of violet typical of Pomerol; a fleshy, dense, generous and harmonious palate, where the palette of the nose is echoed, with that mineral note and those core accents typical of gravel wines; and a beautiful final flight, underlined by elegant tannins. Class at a reasonable price.

About the domain :

On his return from the Great War, Jean-Baptiste Arpin bought 1 ha in Pomerol, in the Maillet sector. Today, his grandsons and great-grandsons Gérard and Gaël farm 38 ha in Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Montagne and Lalande, regularly producing excellent wines.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Located in the Maillet district, from which Château Franc-Maillet takes its name, Franc-Maillet has been owned by the Arpin family for almost a century. Over the past half-decade, the vineyard has made steady progress, with a prestige cuvée called Jean-Baptiste, which is full-bodied and elegant. The wines: in both cuvées of Château Franc-Maillet, recent vintages show a steady and very interesting progression. The 2000s are deep, fleshy, full-bodied wines with very ripe, non-dry tannins. The Cuvée Jean-Baptiste is remarkably intense. Vieux Château Gachet, the lalande-de-pomerol is also tasty and fine in 2000.

Gilbert & Gaillard

About the wine:

Deep color with youthful purplish highlights. A beautifully mature nose dominated by red fruits, with a slight touch of wood. On the palate, a suave attack, velvety tannins and ripe, persistent aromas. A typical Pomerol that's already very expressive.