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  • Country ranking ?

    921
  • Producer ranking ?

    3
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Beef

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The Story

The property is located 10km north of Pauillac in the Haut-Medoc and has since grown to 85 hectares. With overall plantings of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc and an average vine age of over 30 years, Sociando-Mallet has gained a reputation as one of the finest Haut-Medoc wines outside of the 1855 Bordeaux classification. 100% hand-harvested, the grapes are fermented using natural yeasts and, post-fermentation, are aged for over 12 months in all new French oak barrels.

With vines growing on gravel slopes lying over a clay sub-soil, Sociando-Mallet is characterised by great freshness, persistence and structure.

Grape Variety: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot And 5% Cabernet France

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Vintage 2019

BORDEAUX VINTAGE 2019

When I visited Bordeaux in early March, Corona was a threat on the horizon and France was more concerned about an air traffic control strike. However, I was traveling to Bordeaux and had the chance to get a first taste of the 2019 vintage. I was looking forward to the en primeur tastings which were scheduled for March 26, 2020 but the tastings were canceled mid-March . I immediately contacted the different associations and wineries in Bordeaux and asked for samples.

The result was a small number of wines that arrived in Essen before France's lockdown made shipping rather difficult. These first samples of the 2019 vintage were tasted in impeccable conditions to ensure a fair and equal evaluation of all qualities. In fact, the samples proved that the opinion of certain Bordeaux personalities was right. Bruno-Eugène Borie of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou sees 2019 in line with the excellent vintages of 2016, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

Henri Lurton talks about his best vintage, as well as 2016, that he has ever vinified at Château Brane-Cantenac. Philippe Dhalluin of Château Mouton-Rothschild believes that the vintage is rich and abundant in quality and also in quantity. After a few smaller harvests, they returned to average production.

Emmanuel Cruse of Château d’Issan sees that 2019 has a lot in common with 2016 while preserving more freshness. It is a very good vintage but appearing at a very difficult time on the market. In fact, the start of this vintage was very positive. Soils like chalk and clay retained enough precipitation during the winter. Vineyards on these water-retaining soils had a huge advantage in the future growing period. With the exception of a wet June, the vintage benefited from a rather dry climatic situation, which made it possible to largely avoid diseases in the vines. No chance for powdery or downy mildew. Even the heat waves did not really harm the vines as the rain set in, always at the last moment but always early enough to avoid massive water stress and a slowdown in maturity. The late physiological maturity brought a lot of alcohol, but the wines show more freshness than in previous years.

Fabien Teitgen, Winemaker from Smith-Haut-Lafitte, associates this freshness with the good acidity “due to the cool night temperatures during the ripening period”. This fact is also good news for white wines. “They are the big surprise,” confides Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier.

At Château Coutet de Barsac, Philippe and Aline Baly harvested in three passes totaling 19 days of harvest. They judge the conditions to be rather ideal: “These climatic conditions generated a harvest whose quality is undeniably present. » The same samples made their way to Essen and I tasted them. More samples are being announced and will hopefully arrive during the current week. There will be a weekly update of my tasting notes, whenever the samples arrive.

Unfortunately, 2019 is coming in a difficult time, the Corona virus is scaring the world and making business more and more difficult. Commercial bays and new customs duties create a difficult environment for this vintage. However, we must not forget one thing: magnificent 2019s await us, wines with aging potential and charm that will survive all crises.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

Sociando Mallet - 77 ha, 55% Merlot + 43% Cabernet Sauvignon + 2% Cabernet Franc, 35 years old vines, 90% new oak, malolactic fermentation in vats. Deep nose and palate with the scent of tobacco leaves and cigar box, intermixed with creamy blackcurrants and blackberries. Very potent on the palate with depth, strong backbone and great complexity and balance. Fat tannins and fat creamy finish. It matches in every corner 2018 version and may show even better after bottling. Fully deserved 95p.

  • 95p

Dark purple colour with violet hue and almost black core. Very classic nose with a slightly modern touch. Ripe berries and black cherries, vanilla and mild spices, blackcurrant spurs in the background, a touch of liquorice. On the palate well balanced and structured with good aromatic depth and length, multi-layered finish with ripe fruit flavour. A promising wine.

  • 93p
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Information

Origin

Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

Other wines from this producer

Cuvee Jean Gautereau

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