Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc 2018
Château Sociando-Mallet
Sociando-Mallet sits on a prime gravel ridge overlooking the Gironde estuary, and the exceptional 2018 growing season — warm, dry, ideal — produced one of the estate's most approachable young wines. Jean Gautreau famously refused to participate in the 1855 classification, and the quality here argues that labels matter less than land and weather. A Bordeaux that overdelivers dramatically for its price.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Concentrated blackcurrant and ripe cherry rise first, layered with cedar and a touch of violet. Toasted oak and a subtle mintiness fill in the edges.
Palate
Structured and firm with dense blackcurrant fruit, polished tannins, and a cedar-lined mid-palate. The 2018 vintage's warm season is evident in the fruit ripeness, yet freshness persists through a mint-tinged acidity.
Finish
Long and composed, with cedar, cherry, and a mineral undertow that builds with each sip.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Blend
- 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
- Vineyards
- 83 hectares on deep Garonne gravel, Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Grilled lamb chops with rosemary and garlic
Built into a Left Bank powerhouse by the late Jean Gautreau over five decades of obsessive viticulture, Château Sociando-Mallet sits on a gravel terrace in the northern Haut-Médoc where Atlantic breezes off the Gironde moderate the vineyard through each growing season.
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