Château Sociando-Mallet 2021
by Château Sociando-Mallet
- Grape variety
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
- Region
- Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, Haut-Médoc (AOC Haut-Médoc), France
- Style
- red
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Vintage
- 2021
Price: CHF 38 In stock
About this wine
Château Sociando-Mallet is one of the most highly regarded non-classified estates in the Médoc — a property that has consistently outperformed many classified growths over the past four decades. Situated in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne at the northern tip of the Haut-Médoc, the estate was purchased in disrepair by Jean Gautreau in 1969 and built from scratch. The terroir — a ridge of gravel and clay overlooking the Gironde estuary — produces wines of remarkable structure and longevity. Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Sociando-Mallet is built on Pauillac lines rather than the softer Haut-Médoc style. The 2021 vintage suits this estate well: cool, precise, high acidity — the kind of year that produces wines for the long haul.
Tasting notes
Deep garnet, dense and concentrated. The nose is serious and tightly wound — dark cassis, blackberry, graphite and a cedar-tobacco note. On the palate, full-bodied with firm, structured tannins and a strong mineral backbone. The 2021 cool character shows in the precision and freshness. Long finish. Not a wine to rush — give it five years and it will repay you.
Aromas
blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, cedar, tobacco, dark plum, earthy mineral
Critic scores
- Parker: 92
- Jancis Robinson: 16.5
- Vivino: 4.1
- Suckling: 92
- Decanter: 91
- Falstaff: 92
Structure
body medium-full · tannin high · acidity high · sweetness dry
Serving
Serve at 17–19°C · Drink 2027–2040
Food pairings
Rib of beef with bone marrow, Braised lamb shoulder, Duck confit with lentils, Aged hard cheese
Best for
Built for cellaring. Worth the patience.
From the winemaker
Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Sociando-Mallet gravel-clay ridge in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, Haut-Médoc; classic Médoc vinification; aged in French oak barriques; 2021 — cool, structured vintage; Gautreau family estate.
Editor's note
Sociando-Mallet has spent fifty years proving that the 1855 classification means less than the terroir and the person behind it. Jean Gautreau built this estate into one of the most cellar-worthy Médocs outside the Crus Classés. The 2021 is typical: dense, serious, structured for the long haul. Not for tonight.
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