Popped and poured. Consumed by my wife and myself over 90 minutes. Nose showed some tobacco leaf and a very pleasing touch of herb with a background of saddle leather. Tastes of red/black cherries and leather just a hint of smokiness on the finish. Restrained, but not at all thin or lacking in flavor. Could drink all day, every day.
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Yum. Thanks. I have a bunch, and will stand one up for near term drinking.
Better than 2001 or 2003? Love the 2003!
I opened a 2001 Sociando-Mallet last night, with Coravin, finishing the rest on Thursday with my braised short ribs. Very rustic, as expected, herbaceous and dark fruited. As long as you like your Bordeaux rugged, you’ll love Sociando-Mallet
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Sadly, I’ve not tasted these. Got this one recently on WineBid
2000 is better.
I think 2001 is best of class in this threesome. I’ve blown through a case in the last 18 months, including a JG cuvee. The 2000 can be almost as good but there is variability. The 2003 is probably the most voluptuous Sociando - if you can ever use that word with this classic Bordeaux - since the 1990. I like it, but there are so many other better vintages in the last 20 years. The 2005 is excellent as well. My two favorite vintages over the last 20 are 2001 and 2014. I bought multiple cases of each.
I own the bottles. But will rank:
2000 >= 2001 > 2003 > 2002
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My favorite Sociandos all time in order: 90, 82 (would be first but too many off bottles), 95, 96, 01, 00. The 05 is a contender too.
These (the 2000)have been quite variable. Last one I had struck me as a stew of green pepper, overpowering really. Other bottles more under control. Depends on which side of the threshold it is on…
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Bingo. Exactly my experience. Prolly had 8-9 bottles.
Anyone with experience with the 1986? I picked one up about a year ago, but haven’t had the occasion to open it yet. Curious what the consensus is.
1986 was very good about 8 years ago. Don’t own it anymore. More rustic and angular than the 1982 or 1990, but with plenty of stuffing, and not brutally tannic, as some 1986’s can be. 1990 (have gone through two cases over last 15 years) is great, but has been on the gentle downslope for about 10 years IMO. Loved it best around 2012, when the fruit was still vibrant and fresh. 2000 has really turned a corner starting about three years ago, and drinks very well out of 750. Mags still need more time. The capsicum was blazing in that wine until recently, but has become a more gentle herbal note now. IMO, 2000 and 2003 are at the same level. I put 2001 a bit below them, just because it is slightly more dilute. The 2014 is incredibly good. Have been blown away by the price/quality ratio on that wine. And the 2014 does not have the strong bell pepper notes of earlier vintages.
mine as well. I read that picking that year may have been premature so hence the greenness. I’ve opened two bottles of my case; one excellent and one a celebration of green pepper-not to my liking.
Always good to read about a good bottle of 2000! Glad it was up to scratch! I have not been so lucky - I went through 8 bottles before finally finding a good one, but I did really enjoy that bottle.
If you ever come across some, the Cuvée Jean Gautreau 2000 has for me been a lot more reliable - I’ve had four in the last two years, all of which have been sublime.
But for a bit less and with a much better chance of success than the standard 2000 cuvée, the 2001 is an excellent bet - not a bad one yet and it is drinking very well. I have lost count how many I’ve had now and just went back for more - compared to other Bordeaux 01s, it’s excellent value (at least at auction over here).
I still remember the initial comments about green pepper, notably from Jancis Robinson. I had a couple of bottles and did not pick it up, at least at the bitter vegetal level. But she was writing these notes upon release… Prescient, it turns out…
I have had numbers of bottles of 2000. They always have more green pepper than usual, but never, for me, so much as to be off-putting. I quite enjoy the wine.
1986 was very tannic and took a long time to come around. But after 20 years or so, it did, and it has been a very nice wine ever since. I prefer it to the 2000, but like the 89 and 90 more.
I’m maybe 1/3 of the way through a case of the 2000, and there has been has been some variation - bell pepper on some yet others are fine. I’m attributing it to my own sensory perception limits, humidity/atmospheric pressure, and what I’m eating with it though.
For now, I try to decant 2000, and have them with a beef/lamb dish.
The lush, rich 2003 doesn’t need all that.
I doubt that it is all your palate…
We had a 2000 SM last night and the pepper / pickle flavor was present but diminished making this bottle more enjoyable. Good pairing with a ribeye.
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