2016 Château Sociando-Mallet- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (10/20/2020)
– decanted approx. 2 hours before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over 1.5 - 2 hours –
– 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc –
NOSE: “dark”; purple-fruited; musky/smoky/leather; light oak; slight green note (green bean, not bell pepper); seems to be reserved, as this never became more than moderately expressive — or, perhaps, just needed more air.
BODY: garnet-violet color of great depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: dark; earhty; something slightly savory/earthy/musky — but not funky; tannic; adequate acidity; slight mushroom and black cherry aspects, along with some plum; pencil shavings; paired excellently with steak and wild rice — quite frankly, the food pairing improved the wine drastically. Seems pretty complex, but in need of more time: wait 5 years until next bottle. Drink 2025 - 2040, if not beyond.
50, 5, 11, 18, 8 = (92 pts.), with room to improve.
Good wine, but not your father’s Sociando… though tasty, these might have more gloss than the what the traditionalist would prefer in their Sociando… Looking forward to seeing what age can do.
I had a bottle last year (thanks JC!) that, in spite of being double splashed back into bottle 4 hours before dinner, was still coiled at the start but over time started to show what the TN above described. It certainly had the traditional Bordeaux smell and taste, but also dialed down on the green veggie notes that the house is known (notorious?) for. I’ve noted the dialing down with the smattering of post-2005 vintages that I’ve had.
Marc I do not think anything has changed at Sociando. Would love to here if others have other insight. JG is still making the wine, I think 2019 was his last vintage. The vintages are what they are. I still do not understand how 2000 shows so much green, honestly that was a miss for this Chateau. The 2001 is a better wine.
I had the 2000 SM at a tasting last yr…with some big hitters… P.Lalande '95, G.Larose '86, Ausone(can’t remember the vintage)… plus other goodies from all over the world…
2000 Sociando was easily my top pic…was not overly green in anyway
I’ve had the 2016 Sociando 4x’s this yr…def.more ripe, less rustic and some gloss…still a v. good wine
I stumbled across the 2016 SM at Trader Joe’s a month back, picked up a couple because I had not up until this point. Looking forward to them in a few years.
I found my bottles at Trader Joe’s, as well. Also, last week, I ran across three bottles of 2016 Giscours there, too — $70/ea., which appears to be good pricing, but I didn’t buy them as there are many other ways I’d prefer to spend $70 per bottle.
Hey Robert I also love, drink, and cellar copious amounts of Sociando going back to the mid 80s, and like you are so perplexed by the 2000 vintage. In your opinion does this green streak in 2000 fade with time or just get “louder”?
This, for me as well. Not sure if it’s wine making or the vintage, but I tasted the 03 S-M a several times on release and it was really different than the 16.
John, I wish I could pin-point it. Last bottle I had was wonderful, with a green note but overall in balance with the reds and darks. I think I have experienced some bottle variation with this vintage - not bottles that were bad, but bottles that just showed more herbaceousness than others.
2016 Château Sociando-Mallet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (10/23/2022)
– decanted approx. 15 min. before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over approx. 2 hrs. –
NOSE: dark, stony, and a touch smoky.
BODY: dark garnet-violet color of great depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: tannic; points of dark cherry poke through a palate comprised mostly of purple fruits; restrained oak; long finish; showing better than it was a couple years ago. Drinking well young but has lots of room to improve with age.
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