Château Franc Maillet - Pomerol 2014

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A beautiful breadth on the palate, supported by a structure that is both straightforward and elegant.

About the estate:

Pomerol is brimming with little-known gems that, 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 toward the little Barbane stream that separates Pomerol from Néac, home to a few charming small artisanal estates such as Franc-Maillet. The Arpin family applies sound, traditional winemaking principles here and, quite rightly, focuses on a very old Merlot vineyard planted on fairly clay-rich soil. In great vintages, their wine holds its own against those of Petrus or Trotanoy, and Jean-Luc Thunevin is certainly on the right track by offering it in his Saint-Émilion boutiques.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The jewel in the family’s crown: 5.6 hectares of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc planted on siliceous-gravelly soils with a clay subsoil. It stands out for its consistency. With the 2014 vintage, it reaches new heights. Its strengths? A deep, youthful color verging on black; an expressive and charming bouquet blending ripe berries, morello cherry, the gentle spices of subtle oak, and above all that touch of violet typical of Pomerol; a full-bodied, dense, generous, and harmonious palate that echoes the nose’s profile, with that mineral note and the stone fruit accents characteristic of Graves wines; and a beautiful, soaring finish, underscored by elegant tannins. Class at a reasonable price.

About the estate:

Upon his return from World War I, Jean-Baptiste Arpin purchased 1 ha in Pomerol, in the Maillet area. Today, his grandsons and great-grandsons, Gérard and Gaël, cultivate 38 ha in Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Montagne, and Lalande, and consistently produce excellent wines.

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

About the estate:

Located in the Maillet district—which gave its name to the Château Franc-Maillet estate—Franc-Maillet has been owned by the Arpin family for nearly a century. Over the past half-decade, the estate’s wines have shown steady improvement, particularly with a prestige cuvée named Jean-Baptiste, which displays beautiful fullness and undeniable elegance. The wines: In both cuvées from Château Franc-Maillet, the most recent vintages show steady and very promising progress. The 2000s are deep, full-bodied, and robust wines, with very ripe tannins that are not at all dry. The Jean-Baptiste cuvée is of remarkable intensity. Vieux Château Gachet, the Lalande-de-Pomerol, is also flavorful and refined in the 2000 vintage.

Gilbert & Gaillard

About the wine:

Deep color with youthful purplish highlights. The nose shows beautiful maturity, dominated by red fruit with a slight hint of oak. On the palate, it opens with a smooth attack, and velvety tannins that highlight ripe, lingering aromas. A distinctive Pomerol that is already very expressive.