Château Sociando-Mallet 2016

Château Sociando-Mallet is considered one of the best kept secrets in Bordeaux.  This Crus Bourgeoise property has received endless praise from heavy-hitting wine critics such as Robert Parker who considers this estate to be “equal to many Classified Growths,” and a true hidden gem.  Château Sociando-Mallet has such a devout following in France alone, that bottles of this delightful property are a very special find in the international market.  There is no shortage of attention to detail to the vinification process of the wine at this estate, and the grand vin ages beautifully with time.  A must-know producer for any oenophile in search of a powerful wine that overdelivers on value.
 
Château Sociando-Mallet was founded by a Basque nobleman named Sossiando within the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne.  This portion of the Haut Médoc overlooks the Gironde estuary and has some impressive terroir of fine gravel and clay.  As was typical of the time, the estate was named Château Sossiando after its owner, but with time the estate’s name changed to the phonetic spelling of, “Sociando.” The property was confiscated during the turbulent time of the French Revolution and changed hands more than a few times.  Eventually, it was sold to a naval captain named Mallet, and he gave the estate the second portion of its name.  Château Sociando-Mallet experienced more than its fair share of ups and downs, and when it was purchased in 1969 by Jean Gautreau, a self-made négociant, the estate was in complete and utter disrepair.  Jean Gautreau had no experience working as a vigneron or owning any estates.  He earned his fortune as a négociant and an entrepreneur, providing bottling trucks to châteaux within Bordeaux.  At Jean Michel Cazes’ urging, Jean Gautreau took notice of Château Sociando-Mallet and made the decision to purchase the estate for 250,000 francs.
 
Jean Gautreau invested no shortage of funds, time, and meticulous care to revitalizing the estate to its former glory.  When he purchased Château Sociando-Mallet, only 7 hectares were under the vine.  After Jean Gautreau’s extensive work on the property, the estate now stands at an impressive 85-hectares.  Jean Gautreau spent his tenure expanding the vineyard, remodeling the estate, and renovating the winemaking facilities.  He replaced the old, defunct concrete vats with brand new, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to add a purity of fruit and freshness to the grand vin. 
 
The harvest and vinification processes at the vineyards are nothing short of impressive.  This 85-hectare vineyard that hosts plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is harvested entirely by hand by a team of 120 pickers.  The wine is vinified in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete tanks.  Interestingly enough, only native yeasts are allowed in this process and the wine ferments spontaneously, with minimal intervention on behalf of the winemaking team.  It is then aged in 100% New French Oak barrels – a rarity for Crus Bourgeoise estates – prior to being bottled.  The resulting wine is an incredibly rich, concentrated and long-lived wine, that rivals many Classified Growths.

"The 2016 Sociando-Mallet has a refulgent purple/black color. It has a very intense and rich, you might say "ambitious" bouquet with layers of small black cherries, blueberry and a touch of sloes, less tertiary than previous vintages and certainly more opulent. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin that almost disguise the firm structure underneath. I admire the completeness of this Sociando-Mallet, the neatly embroidered new oak and the freshness on the finish. The 2015 Sociando-Mallet did not fire on all cylinders last year, but this 2016 is totally convincing. It comes highly recommended as one of the best wines produced at this estate in the northern Médoc. This is an outstanding wine from Mon. Gartreau." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2/24/2009, Issue 181), Rating: 94, Drink: 2022 - 2045

''The 2016 Chateau Sociando-Mallet is a beautiful, complete wine that shows the classic style of this vintage beautifully. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with terrific notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, dried earth, and lead pencil shavings, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, and a great finish. It has plenty of tannins, yet they're polished and nicely integrated into the wine. This brilliant Haut-Medoc is approachable today yet will be even better with 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15+ years.'' Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur (6/14/2019) Ratings: 92 Drink: 2021-2036