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2016 Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Merlot (50%),Cabernet Sauvignon (47%),Cabernet Franc (3%)
Jane Anson MW
92/100
Neal Martin MW
92-94/100
Jancis Robinson MW
16.5/20
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Product: 20161015274
2016 Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

Description

This immediately appeals with an inviting, fresh nose of pure Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is juicy and fresh with ripe tannins and a long, fresh finish.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 35%, Petit Verdot 5%
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2016
Alcohol % 14
Grape List Merlot (50%),Cabernet Sauvignon (47%),Cabernet Franc (3%)
Body Full Bodied
Property Château Sociando-Mallet

Critics reviews

Jane Anson MW 92/100
Inky black in colour, with a beautiful graphite and black fruit nose. This is undoubtedly a great Sociando this year, with precise yet juicy graphite and black fruits on the palate, from a fairly even blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc too. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040. jane_anson_mw - Decanter, 3rd April 2017
Drink 2023 - 2040
Jane Anson MW, Decanter.com (Apr 2017)
Neal Martin MW 92-94/100
The 2016 Sociando-Mallet has a refulgent purple/black color. It has a very intense and rich, you might say "ambitious" bouquet with layers of small black cherries, blueberry and a touch of sloes, less tertiary than previous vintages and certainly more opulent. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin that almost disguise the firm structure underneath. I admire the completeness of this Sociando-Mallet, the neatly embroidered new oak and the freshness on the finish. The 2015 Sociando-Mallet did not fire on all cylinders last year, but this 2016 is totally convincing. It comes highly recommended as one of the best wines produced at this estate in the northern Médoc. This is an outstanding wine from Mon. Gartreau. Neil Martin - Wine Advocate #230, 28th April 2017
Drink 2023 - 2040
Neal Martin MW, (Apr 2017)
Jancis Robinson MW 16.5/20
Very dark glowing crimson. Great graphite nose. Some rich meatiness. Very much pushed up the ripeness scale. Seems richer than I remember it but it's clearly very ambitious. Thick and sweet. Not really my style but it will over-deliver to those who are still looking for a wine from the 1990s! Drying end. Drink 2024-2040. jancis_robinson_mw - 20th April 2017
Drink 2023 - 2040
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

About this wine

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.

Chateau Sociando-Mallet

Chateau Sociando-Mallet is an outperforming Cru Bourgeois property located in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in the Haut-Médoc. Quality was inconsistent until the property was purchased by Jean Gautreau in 1969. It then consisted of only 7 hectares and in the last 30 years Jean Gautreau has expanded the vineyards to 57 hectares. The vineyards, which lie close to the Gironde Estuary, are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Petit Verdot (5%). The grapes are hand picked and then fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete tanks. The wines are matured in oak barriques (70-90% new) for 12-15 months. They are bottled unfined and unfiltered. These are weighty, firm and well-structured clarets that are typically rich in fruit and have excellent ageing potential. As Jean Gautreau says: "I have a superb terroir which I want to express in the wine. I try to make a classic Médoc for long keeping."

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