CHATEAU SOCIANDO-MALLET Haut-Medoc 2023 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
Château Sociando Mallet 2023 opens with confident freshness: blackcurrant, black cherry and bramble, lifted by pressed violet and a faint rose petal, with cedar, graphite and savoury tobacco. As it breathes, crushed bay, dried herb and olive tapenade emerge, adding terroir clarity. Medium–full-bodied, it has a smooth arrival, bright natural acidity and fine, well-judged tannins that shape without weight. Pure dark fruit and plum sit beside black olive and a whisper of liquorice; the mid-palate offers toasted cedar, dark chocolate and warm baking spice, while a stony mineral seam and saline thread drive a long, focused finish. Oak is measured and integrated. Drink now with decanting or cellar 10–20 years. Top scores: James Suckling 94–95; Decanter 94; WA 90–92.

ABOUT THIS WINE
Château Sociando Mallet, Haut Médoc 2023 opens with confident freshness, a focused Médoc expression that marries ripe fruit clarity with structural poise. The bouquet presents blackcurrant, black cherry and bramble, lifted by pressed violet and a faint rose petal, while cedar, graphite and a savoury tobacco leaf add depth and composure. As the wine breathes, crushed bay, dried herb and a little olive tapenade appear, enhancing the aromatics with a clear sense of terroir and complexity.

On the palate the 2023 is medium to full bodied, delivering a smooth, rounded entry, bright natural acidity and well judged, fine tannins that give shape without undue weight. Primary fruit remains pure and concentrated, dark berry and plum framed by savoury black olive and a discreet thread of liquorice. The mid palate develops with layered interest, showing toasted cedar, dark chocolate and warm baking spice, while a stony mineral seam and a saline thread drive forward momentum into a long, focused finish. Oak is measured and integrated, offering gentle vanilla and spice that support the fruit core rather than overpower it.

Texture is polished and tactile, the wine balancing energy and grip, evolving in the glass to reveal savoury strata of leather, graphite and a faint ironstone note. Secondary nuances of dried herb, black tea and undergrowth add nuance and interest without detracting from the wine’s primary clarity. The finish is persistent, returning to black fruit, bittersweet cocoa and a chalky mineral echo that lifts the close and invites another sip.

Château Sociando Mallet is a well-regarded Haut Médoc estate prized for its classic left-bank terroir of gravelly soils and a measured, terroir-led approach. The domaine combines careful vineyard selection with traditional vinification and modern cellar precision, including small-lot fermentation and cautious oak ageing to preserve freshness and ageing potential. Drink now with decanting, or cellar for ten to twenty years. Serve at 16 to 18°C with roast beef, braised lamb, rich game or mature cheeses.

JAMES SUCKLING **** 94-95 points
15 Apr, 2024 – This is very classic Sociando with brightness and linearity to the wine, as well as blackcurrants and a citrus undertone. Medium-bodied with refined tannins. Long, very crisp and fresh. Lower pH here of 3.55.

DECANTER 94 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 25 Apr 2024) Part of Best Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2023 wines tasted en primeur
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2040
Dark fruit, violet notes, black cherries and touches of liquorice. Supple and lively, really tangy and zesty, bright but not over the top with such a creamy, chalky texture giving a soft grip. Generous but controlled, I like the style, there’s concentration but keeps such a cool blue fruit edge which gives freshness and the minerality doesn't stick out at all. Expressive and elegant, but with body and something to get your teeth stuck into. Lovely suppleness but finally ends grippy and stony with the salinity lingering on the very long finish with mint, liquorice and clove. Characterful. I like this a lot. A stand out wine and top buy! 60% grand vin production. 8% press wine. 3.55pH. Ageing 12-14 months, 80% new oak.

THE WINE ADVOCATE (90-92) points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2023 Sociando-Mallet is showing well, exhibiting aromas of cherries and cassis mingled with hints of pencil shavings and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's lively and classically structured, with sweet tannins, bright acids and a penetrating finish. The blend is 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, which attained 14% alcohol.

VINOUS 89-91 points
Drinking window: 2027 - 2039
The 2023 Sociando-Mallet has a cohesive and focused bouquet, classic Sociando in style. A touch of freshly tilled soil and cedar develops in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with red berry fruit and lightly spiced with black pepper and cedar. Nicely balanced on the finish, this should develop well in bottle, although it lacks a bit of complexity - Neal Martin. Tasting date: April 2024

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ABOUT CHATEAU SOCIANDO-MALLET
Château Sociando Mallet, situated in the Haut Médoc commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, is an influential left bank estate known for producing richly textured, classically structured wines that blend power with refinement. The property rose to prominence under the stewardship of Jean Gautreau from the mid 20th century, who transformed a modest holding into a benchmark producer through systematic vineyard expansion, improved viticulture and a focus on quality that rivalled classified growths despite the château’s unclassified status. Planted on deep gravelly soils with pockets of clay and limestone, the vineyards benefit from good drainage and a temperate Atlantic influence that helps preserve acidity and promote steady phenolic ripening, favouring Cabernet Sauvignon while allowing Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to contribute complexity.

Vineyard management at Sociando Mallet emphasises parcel selection, careful canopy work and controlled yields to ensure concentration and typicity, with ongoing replanting and clonal choice aimed at increasing consistency across vintages. In the winery modern techniques are combined with traditional rigour, grapes receiving thorough sorting before fermentation in temperature controlled vats, with extraction tailored to achieve ripe tannins and aromatic definition. Elevage takes place in French oak, a measured proportion of which is new each year, to add structure and savoury spice while preserving fruit purity.

The signature wine typically displays deep black fruit, cassis and plum, complemented by graphite, forest floor and tobacco nuances, supported by a firm structured tannic frame and a refreshingly saline finish that speaks to Médoc terroir. Sociando Mallet’s wines reward medium to long term ageing, evolving towards complex tertiary notes while second and reserve cuvées provide earlier accessibility without losing the estate’s muscular elegance. Respected for consistency and value, Château Sociando Mallet remains a standard bearer for Haut Médoc style and ambition.