TN: 1996 Chateau Sociando-Mallet
Poured into a decanter an hour before the first sip and this wine, rather than sing, gracefully hummed. Not as rich as my recent 2000, but I believe that the added air time brought forth good elegant fruit, with tobacco, herbs and mineral characters. I’ve had this many times since release, first time I decanted, and this could be my favorite showing. B+/A-
Thanks Ramon
Great wine
Does anyone know what Sociando-Mallet Cuvée J.Gautreau is?
It is available here in 1995 and 1996 ex Château
BUMP?
I’ve seen those around too, and that baffles me too.
I’m not convinced they are actually different.
Thanks Ramon. When was last time you had 96? Just wondering if, aside from decanting, whether it’s just finally coming around.
Per Jeff Leve:
in _(sic)_1995, Sociando Mallet produced a special wine that was at the time, intended to only be produced in that one vintage, Sociando-Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau. The wine was made from a barrel selection and was aged in 100% new, French oak barrels. To produce the wine, Jean Gautreau pulled the eighty best barrels from over 1,500 barrels. Those barrels were aged separately. Then, out of those 80 barrels, Gautreau pulled what he considered the top 15 barrels. Those 300 cases were bottled for his own pleasure and were not originally intended for sale. However, when he discovered he was running out of room, the wines were sold in the market place. Sociando-Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau is difficult to find. But it might not sell for much a premium over the standard wine. Since that initial production, in 2013, Jean Gautreau decided to release several other vintages of the wine that covered the years 1996 to 2006.
Read more at:Learn about Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut Medoc, Complete Guide
Frank, last one was drank about 2 years ago.
Wow. That is very interesting I’d never realized that.
Scrub my comment upthread then!
WineBid was selling some lots of the Cuvee Jean Gautreau not long ago. I don’t recall the vintage but they were asking north of $100, so easy pass.
But that’s winebid! People buy Gonon at $120.
True that! Yellowtail Reserve goes for over $10 there as well. Madness.
Tonight’s note:
5/28/2017
Starting to come around. Typical Sociando green pepper, herb. Tastes like there’s a lot of Cab Franc. Good smokey oak. Solid. Dark fruit. Iron and mineral. Totally angular and idiosyncratic. If you don’t like it you won’t like it, but if you like SM then this one won’t disappoint. Very good, will get better. Drink or hold.
Knowing Matt, he probably drank (organized a Bordeaux tasting) at release and occasionally followed bottle over time. Starting to come around sounds like it is, then.
Thanks for the added p-o-v.
That’s for certain! 
I trust you’re well Matt! Based on our last 96 tasting several months ago, it seems like they are starting to come around. I’m not surprised that the Sociando would of take a little longer.