18/20
RVF
-
17/20
Gault & Millau
-
2*Étoiles
Hachette
-
16,5/20
Bettane & Desseauve
-
90/100
Robert Parker
"The 2009 has retained a lovely freshness of fruit, with a dense, very ripe body and, here again, plenty of tannic volume." (Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2015 - RVF). "Elegant nose with hints of blackcurrant, straightforward and precise on the palate, between fruit and spice. Powerful tannins punctuate this great length". (Le Guide Bettane & Desseauve des Vins de France 2015). Don't miss this exceptional 2009 vintage! Delivery in wooden cases for orders delivered in France of 12 bottles of this wine.
Features
Estate
Château Sociando-Mallet
Vintage
2009
Designation
Haut-Médoc
Region
Bordeaux
Grape varieties
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Terroirs
gravelly soil on clay-limestone subsoil
Viticulture
traditional soil cultivation, low double Guyot pruning, reasoned organic amendments
Harvest
harvested by hand in crates, sorted before destemming
Winemaking
traditional vinification in temperature-controlled cement and stainless steel vats, 30-day vatting period
Breeding
12 months in 100% new barrels
Alcohol content
13.5%
Tasting & pairing
Eye
purplish hue
Nose
fine, concentrated red and black ripe fruit, very mineral
Mouth
balanced, elegant, ripe, juicy fruit aromas
Serve
decant at 17°C
Open
1 hour before
Drink from
2017
Drink before
2039
Food and wine pairing
enjoy with pigeon in wine sauce, prime rib with coarse salt, wood pigeon with vine shoots...
Château Sociando-Mallet
Haut-Médoc
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated (2014 guide) 16.5/20 (Reference wine)
Domain rated (2022 guide) 3*Stars (High-quality production, a benchmark in its sector)
About the wine:
Elegant nose, with notes of blackcurrant, the palate is straightforward and precise, between fruit and spice. Powerful tannins punctuate this long finish.
About the domain :
A key figure in the Médoc, Jean Gautreau is one of the architects of the revival of its crus. Respected by his peers, he has raised Sociando-Mallet to the level of a Classified Growth, greatly enlarging the vineyard since his purchase in 1969. Today, of the property's 85 hectares, some 50 are at the level of a third or even second cru classé. Assisted by his daughter, Jean Gautreau is one of the few owners to supervise the vinification himself. These are benchmark wines, with an inimitable feel and identity. Médoc wines to the core, they are always full of finesse. The estate now has a gîte, Villa Sociando, at Port de la Maréchale, 3 kilometers from the property.
Guide Hachette des vins
Wine rated (2013 guide) 2**Stars (Outstanding wine)
Domain rated (guide 2022) Award-winning wines (The wines of this producer are regularly awarded by the guide)
About the wine:
While the terroir of this renowned château is excellent, with gravelly soils overlooking the estuary, it would be nothing without the winemaker's touch. The majority of Cabernet (especially Cabernet Sauvignon) is used to produce a great wine for laying down. This dark-hued 2009 is no exception. Announced by a rich bouquet of leather, wild berries and hints of toast, it reveals an elegant, round and smooth body that will enable it to be enjoyed from 2016-2017 onwards.
About the domain :
In the 17th century, it was a noble land belonging to a Basque family, the Sossiando family. Confiscated during the French Revolution, it has had several owners. At the end of the last century, Jean Gautreau brought its potential to light. A broker with Miailhe, he set up his own company in the late 1950s to sell wines in the Benelux countries. A customer asked him to find an estate with a fine terroir. He discovered Sociando-Mallet: overlooking the estuary, a superb gravelly hilltop on a clay subsoil. When the customer didn't follow up, he bought it for himself in 1969, restructured it, enlarged it (originally 5 ha, now 82) and built a winery. Unclassified, it is one of the appellation's most important crus, now run by Sylvie, daughter of Jean Gautreau, who died in 2019.
Guide des Vins Gault & Millau
Rated 17/20 (Outstanding)
About the wine:
The velvety feel of this 2009 is remarkable, admittedly in an opulent, rich style, but very well made. A very accessible wine, full of charm, with stewed fruit and spices.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated (2012 guide) 90/100 (Outstanding wine)
Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
This impeccable estate has produced here a fearsomely tannic wine which, even in this very opulent and flamboyant vintage, will need a minimum of 10 to 15 years in the cellar, to keep for 40 years or more. Opaque purplish-black in color, with notes of crushed stone, white flowers, graphite, blueberry and blackcurrant, the wine is tightly wound. Medium- to full-bodied, it's all there, set for a long life.
About the domain :
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Wine rated (2014 guide) 18/20 (Grand vin)
Domaine rated (2023 guide) 1*Star (Stars in the making or quality winegrowers with a good level of production, you won't be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)
About the wine:
The 2009 has retained a lovely freshness of fruit, with a dense, very ripe texture and, once again, plenty of tannic volume.
About the domain :
Sociando-Mallet is a brand with a strong reputation that has captured the hearts of true wine-lovers. Many of the vintages from this lovely property in the northern Médoc are equivalent to very good crus classés. Jean Gautreau, who spent half a century building Sociando-Mallet, passed away at the end of 2019, leaving the torch to his daughter Sylvie. Widely distributed in France and Belgium, the cru remains a safe bet and, above all, always offers optimal value for money. A vast replanting project was initiated some ten years ago, forcing the cru to produce more "merlot-like" wines. They have more roundness, but probably less breed. We no longer find the magical brilliance of 1982, 1990 or 1996, which remain benchmarks.
James Suckling
Rated Domaine (2021 guide) Recommended
Customer reviews
Customer rating
4.2/5
on 65 reviews
Note and review by M. ALEXANDRE P. Published on 01/10/2018
Great wine - good to drink now
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Note and review by M. FREDERIC B. Published on 12/09/2018
1° out of 3 drunk in March 2018. Still double-locked despite 1/2 h decanting and a slightly warm cellar. Still very young, wait for it
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Note and review by M. OLIVIER M. Published on 19/09/2016
TOP after 2 hours of airing!
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Note and review by M. NICOLAS B. Published on 16/04/2016
a little too closed, I hope it will open up over time. it's still a safe bet so ... I'm staying positive.
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Note and review by M. RAPHAEL M. Published on 30/03/2016
Two of us didn't like it. This wine has significant flaws.
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Note and review by M. FREDERIC M. Published on 21/12/2015
it's been a while since a haut-médoc moved me a little. It's fine. It's straight. Oxygenation refines it. It's not earth-shattering yet, but there's hope.
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Note and review by M. LIONEL B. Published on 27/01/2015
Completely closed. I'll try again in a year to see where it stands.
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Note and review by M. FABRICE C. Published on 08/10/2024
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Note and review by Mme CORINNE A. Published on 18/04/2024
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Note and review by M. DANIEL R. Published on 14/01/2024
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