Château Sociando-Mallet 2020

Wonderfully fragrant on the nose, just stopping short of being potent. Glorious perfumed scents and rich, ripe black fruits. Clean and clear, this has a lively energy to it and a little bit of liquorice which gives a savoury, dark and slightly sticky edge to the fruit. Clarity, classicism and precision on show. Sculpted, muscular, grippy and chewy. Excellent potential with a slate- and coffee-toned finish.

This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.

Cask sample. Generous, sweet black fruit on the nose. Rounded and juicy with an attractive undergrowth sort of quality to it and plenty of chewy tannin to last. Tempting to think that this would be quite a good price, and could age as well as many more prestigious addresses. (RH)

The 2020 Sociando-Mallet shows more new oak on the nose than its peers, though there is sufficient brambly red fruit to soak that up. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and well-delineated with bitter cherry and a splash of balsamic. It's granular in texture with satisfying length and a side order of classicism. Give this a couple of years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Deeply colored, with a nose offering flowers, touches of chocolate, wet earth, herbs and dark red spicy fruits. The wine is full-bodied, with a generous splash of black fruits, savory herbs and cocoa. Long and full in the mouth, this will age and develop for at least 3 decades with little effort. 92-94 Pts

Aromas of blueberry and wild cherry with floral tones. Firmly built, fine-grained tannins, fresh and taut, richly structured fruit, without green tones, well-integrated acidity, profound mineral aspect, moderate finish. Polished and compact, classic Sociando.

Dense and rich structure in a classic fashion with plentiful yet ripe tannins, fine toast and coffee notes, long and vigorous, excellent potential for long ageing.

Every bit as good as the 2019, although in a slightly more concentrated, burly style, the 2020 Château Sociando-Mallet is close to an even split of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a splash of Cabernet Franc, all from vines located just north of Saint-Estèphe. It brings lots of ripeness and richness, with darker currants, plums, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and graphite-like aromatics that build nicely with time in the glass. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Haut-Médoc revealing a deep, layered mid-palate, ripe, sweet tannins, plenty of concentration, and a great finish. Where the 2019 is silky and elegant, this is more in your face and foursquare, and it's mostly potential at this stage, although it clearly offers pleasure even today with its wealth of fruit. It's going to hit maturity around a decade after the vintage and, I suspect, will keep for 2-3 decades.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: dense, velvety, dark bouquet, black cherries, black cassis, liquorice, black truffle, smoke. Powerful, elegant palate with dense, dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a well-muscled structure, complex dark aromatics, and a long, dense, powerful finish.

Dense, velvety, dark bouquet: black cherries, black cassis, licorice, black truffle, smoke. Powerful, elegant palate with dense, dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a well-muscled structure, varied dark aromatics, and a long, dense, forceful finish. 18/20 2027 - 2048

Another brilliant vintage, packed with griotte cherry, cassis, sandalwood, cedar, rosemary, cumin, mint leaf, smoked earth and crayon. Great quality, wonderfully expressed brambled dark fruits, firm tannins that are expertly cradling the fruit, and a mouthwatering finish. More proof of the value offered by Sociando without sacrificing Left bank signature. 90% new oak for ageing, 42hl/ha yield.

The 2020 Sociando-Mallet is deep garnet-purple in color. It charges out with bold notes of blackcurrant pastilles, blackberry preserves, and Bing cherries, followed by hints of bay leaves, tilled soil, and cloves. The medium-bodied palate is bright and intense, with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and a refreshing line, finishing long with compelling purity.

91-92

Sociando 2020 is quite dense, marked by a significant proportion of Merlot, evident in its round and suave character. It is pleasant and flattering, a wine that will evolve well over the next decade.

A slightly smoky, mysterious nose. On the palate, a limpid, seamless, very pleasant texture that feels like diving into a swimming pool. A serious finish with chew.

Sociando-Mallet brilliantly delivers on the promise shown during the en primeur tastings. The élevage is naturally noticeable, yet it merely accompanies, leaving room for notes of black berries, licorice, graphite, and mint. The wine stands out for its fullness, elegance, and serenity. Its fleshy, slightly suave tannins go hand in hand with a structuring acidity that bolsters the fruit-driven expression on the finish. This is a truly great Sociando-Mallet. Someone up there must be very proud!

Deep, purple colour. Moderately aromatic nose with fresh fruit. Caressing, fruity, pleasant palate, but it finishes quickly. Medium length. Blend: 53% merlot, 46% cabernet sauvignon, 1% cabernet franc. Alcohol: 14% - pH: 3.67. Yield: 42 hl/ha.

Sociando-Mallet at its finest: velvety density, refined tannins, and a delicately minty freshness on the nose, with deep notes of black fruit. The balance is remarkable. The sapid finish goes on and on, and the wine offers a deliciously persistent aftertaste.