Chateau Sociando-Mallet 2014

Description

Château Sociando-Mallet is located in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in the Haut-Médoc appellation . It was bought by the Sossiondo family in 1633 and later became "sociando" due to a spelling error in the name of the owner family. In 1831 the estate became Château Sociando-Mallet when the owner of the château married Achille Mallet. But since 1969, it is Jean Gautreau who has been at the head of this Cru Bourgeois.

The estate covers 85 hectares with vines averaging 30 years old. They are planted on a Guntzian gravel soil and on a clay-limestone subsoil. The two main grape varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon at 48%, Merlot at 47% as well as in very small quantities Cabernet Franc at 5%. The wine is aged for 12 months in barrels.

Château Sociando-Mallet produces a second wine; La demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet , which is a wine made from the youngest vines on the estate.

Award and Rating

92-93 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark Chewy and rich with serious fruits and a nutty character. Full and long. Excellent length. Inner quote mark (3/2015)

90-92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The Château Sociando-Mallet 2014 has an outstanding nose: very intense blackberry and raspberry fruit, fine delineation and tension, a real humdinger! The palate is fresh and vibrant with fine tannin, plenty of grainy red berry fruit mixed with cedar and bay leaf, with great conviction on the finish. This is a great Sociando Mallet from Jean Gartreau - expect it to land at the top of that banded score. (NM) Inner quote mark (4/2015)

89-92 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Fresh, with good cut to the plum and black currant fruit, showing extra tobacco and iron notes on the finish. Has a good shot of toast, but enough fruit and minerality to soak that up. Rock-solid. (JM, Web-2015) Inner quote mark