Wine Advisor
Sociando Mallet 2012
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A noteworthy success for this conscientiously run property that has overperformed for much of my 35-year career, the black/purple-hued 2012 Sociando Mallet reveals notes of camphor, black truffles, asphalt and abundant blue and black fruits. Layered, rich and concentrated with sweet tannin and a more forward, precocious personality than is normal for this estate, it should drink well for 10-12 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Sociando Mallet has an impressive, lifted blackberry and cedar scented bouquet with just a faint hint of bell pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy, “stringy” tannins but good length and it fans out nicely on the savoury finish. This is a fine wine from Jean Gartreau. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Once again proprietor Jean Gautreau has hit pay dirt with a beautiful blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Wonderfully sweet, ripe tannins seem to be a rule of thumb from this great terroir just to the north of St.-Estèphe’s Château Montrose. A beautiful deep ruby/purple color, decent acidity, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning fruit put this wine right in the midst of the best classified crus from the Médoc, yet it has never been classified. Go figure. Softer than I would have suspected (and I’ve been following and buying this wine since the mid-1970s), this wine will still age beautifully for 10-15+ years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2012 Sociando-Mallet is quite closed on the nose, earthy and slightly ferrous. Here I would like more fruit. The palate is better with soft tannins, fleshy red fruit and lightly spiced with an easygoing and quite approachable finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Intense aromas of red and black cherries with light floral notes. Full body, silky tannins, lovely acidity and long, fruity finish. Polished tannins. Needs to open. Better in 2018.
About the Producer
Château Sociando-Mallet is located in the Haut-Medoc, a region rich in Cru Bourgeois, but it is not precisely a Cru Bourgeois, not because it is not qualified, but because the owners felt that its excellence did not need to be judged by outsiders. The Château did not take part in either the 1855 Grand Cru de Médoc or the 1932 Cru Bourgeois. But with the quality of its wines, Château Marly has a real chance of winning the Cru Bourgeois! The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in large concrete vats, clarified with egg white and placed in oak barrels. The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in large concrete vats, clarified with egg white and aged in oak barrels to absorb the oak and soften the tannins. The Chateau Sociando-Mallet is aged for three months in oak barrels, with 100% new oak. The secondary wine of Château Sociando-Mallet is "LaDemoiselle de Sociando-Mallet". Thanks to Jean Gautreau's meticulous winemaking and good management, Château Mallet is fast becoming a class apart from the Cru Bourgeois and even the Grand Cru. The wines have a good structure and firm tannins, with a long finish, a characteristic that is usually found only at the Grand Cru level and above, but Château Marly is so capable that it has been described as "one of the highest quality AOCs in the entire Médoc". In the better vintages of Château Marly, Robert Parker gave it a score of 90 points, commenting: "A classic nose with a mix of cassis, graphite, ore and earth, a medium depth of body, a concentrated structure and, as always, outstanding quality, Château Marly always produces long-lived wines capable of ageing for 20-30 years. Great wines."
1982(1)1983(1)1985(2)1990(3)1996(2)1999(1)2001(1)2003(4)2004(1)2005(5)2007(2)2008(1)2009(5)2010(4)2011(3)
Package Size
12 x 75cl
