Château Sociando-Mallet 2017

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Sociando-Mallet gives aromas of fragrant earth, herbs and spice cake with a cassis, kirsch and boysenberries core. The palate is medium-bodied, chewy and lean with a rustic finish.

One of the most iconic names in Haut-Médoc, this has depth, linearity and good fruit. It is well-handled, with slatey minerality providing a springboard for the cassis fruits, but it finishes a little too quickly. A touch of Cabernet Franc adds a floral note to the near-even pairing of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d still go with the 2016, but this will be ready to enjoy sooner.

Freshness and brightness to this. Medium to full body with firm, juicy tannins. A little chewy now, but it will come around nicely with bottle age. Excellent for the vintage. Better after 2021.

Inky crimson with a black core. Dusty cassis nose. Leafy on the palate, juicy and fresh but could do with a little more flesh in the middle. Very firm grip on the finish. Dark and savoury aftertaste. (JH)

The 2017 Sociando-Mallet has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, woodland leaves and cedar that gently unfolds with time. There is no sign of any greenness here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, classic or traditional Bordeaux from start to finish with fine delineation on the tobacco-tinged finish. Excellent.

Medium-bodied and reserved, holding on to its core of crunchy red fruits, crisp currants and cranberry top notes. Classically designed with its bright personality, lay this down for a decade, and it could soften and fill out as it adds additional nuances and character.

Deep dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate brightening at the rim, delicate floral notes of cassis, ripe cherries, a hint of blackberries, fresh orange zest. Medium body, red currants, racy and fresh structure, integrated, fine tannins, salty, a lively food companion with certain ageing potential.

Purple with a ruby rim. Multi-layered bouquet of red and blue berries, dark cherry, cassis, fine woods, licorice and tobacco. Clearly stands out from its peer group. On the palate, it is consistently a structurally powerful, tightly woven wine that, in the 2017 vintage, even combines finesse with power, excellent tannin structure and good length. An absolute buy recommendation.

Kunz barrel sample 18: dense, velvety, dark bouquet—plums, black cherries, currants, tobacco, licorice. Tightly knit, aromatic palate with velvety fruit, a muscular, dense structure, powerful dark aromatics, plenty of fine tannin, and a long, dense, full finish.

Dense, dark, velvety, powerful bouquet, black cassis, delicate plum, licorice, smoke, currants. Dense, powerful, vigorous palate with dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, muscular structure, complex, assertive aromatics, long, aromatic, slightly bitter finish. 18/20 2025 - 2048

Such an effortless sweet appeal to this wine, black fruits laced with cumin, star anise, sage, mint leaf. Not the structure for ageing as with the 2016, but delicious right now and over the next decade, finessed tannins with plenty to enjoy. Harvest September 13 to October 3. No fining, light filtration. Last year with Patrice Laugac as cellar master. 46 hl/ha yield, 90% new oak for ageing, 77 ha in production. Michel-Bernard Couasnon consultant.

2017 is pleasant, delicate, fresh and well-balanced. A fairly approachable Sociando.

Juicy, fruity, elegant, great length, supple tannins, fine pedigree.

Such plurality in Sociando’s bouquet, where I perceive notes of red berries, spices and a hint of mocha. Fruity attack with good intensity. On the palate, the wine is defined by the freshness of its structure and its tannins. The latter have the substance needed to balance the liveliness of the structure while also giving breadth to the entire palate. Good aromatic intensity from the very first sip. Fruity, persistent finish. A very fine Sociando-Mallet.

Intense, beautiful color. Ripe, fruity nose. Caressing palate, juicy, flavorful and fragrant. The wine unfolds with silky flesh and noble tactile nuances. Very seductive. Good length.

90–92. Barrel Sample. This wine offers a blackberry fruit flavor framed by crisp acidity and fine-grained tannins. It has a dry core, with plenty of spice and fruit tones to broaden it out.