Château Sociando-Mallet is in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, ten kilometres north of Pauillac, in the Haut-Médoc appellation.
A document dating from March 1633 refers to land here belonging to an aristocrat of Basque origin named Sociondo. A member of his family was Bishop of Bayonne.
Jean Gautreau, born in April 1927 in Lesparre to a family outside the wine industry, was an accomplished athlete who excelled in football and tennis, reaching the Roland Garros Juniors semi-finals at 18.
After serving in the military in Morocco, he returned to Lesparre and began working for the brokerage firm Miailhe in 1948 during a tough period for Bordeaux's wine trade.
Recognizing significant sales potential, particularly in Africa, he became an independent broker in 1950.
By January 1, 1957, he established his own négociant firm, capitalizing on rising Bordeaux prices and successfully selling quality wines to clients in Belgium and the Netherlands while introducing mobile bottling units for château-bottled wines.
Jean Gautreau discovered Sociando-Mallet in the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in 1969 when looking for a wine estate to buy on behalf of a Belgian client.
It was love at first sight, despite the fact that the property was in a sorry state.
However, the terroir was excellent and the domain afforded a magnificent view overlooking the Gironde Estuary.
Jean Gautreau immediately decided to acquire it for himself for 250,000 French francs.
There were only 5 hectares of vines at the time.
Sociando-Mallet's extraordinary terroir, consisting of Günz gravel with clay subsoil, is propitious to growing excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and producing wines with wonderful freshness.
Jean Gautreau expanded the vineyard year after year by buying vines from his neighbours.
Today, the property is comprised of 83 hectares producing nearly 450,000 bottles a year of Château Sociando-Mallet and the second wine, Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet.
Château Sociando-Mallet produces full-bodied wines with a deep, dark colour.
Their complex bouquet is usually dominated by black fruit aromas with a touch of minerality and well-integrated, elegant oak.
Often somewhat "virile" when young, the wines gain in balance and complexity with age. They are fresh, straightforward, and have a wonderful length.
Château Sociando-Mallet has always been a wine with great ageing potential.
A wine to be enjoyed even after 30 years in great vintages.
The 2016 vintage consists of the Cabernet grape which ripens well here while the Merlot develops complexity - all helped by the proximity of river and ocean both moderating temperatures.
It is rounded and sappy with black-fruited finesse, all supported by well-integrated, silky tannins and graphite minerals
The nose is dominated by the fruits, very aromatic with hints of black fruit, blackberry, blueberry.
The palate is powerful enough tannic but the balance between fruit and tannins give a perfect balance to the lingering finish of this great wine.
In 1995, a "Jean Gautreau" blend was created by blind-tasting these barrels after a year of aging.
This cuvée is reputedly made from the best barrels personally picked by Jean Gautreau himself, matured in 100% new French oak, and being a more Cab-dominant cepage.
At Sociando-Mallet, grapes from specific plots are fermented in separate vats (about 20 vats per harvest). Three barrels from each vat are set aside to assess plot quality.
A committee selected the top 15 barrels for the blend, which was then bottled in distinctive tall, brown bottles to differentiate it from the regular Sociando-Mallet.
The "Jean Gautreau" has a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than Sociando Mallet and is a somewhat austere wine in its youth, requiring longer ageing in the bottle to reach its full potential.
"Inky black in colour, with a beautiful graphite and black fruit nose. This is undoubtedly a great Sociando this year, with precise yet juicy graphite and black fruits on the palate, from a fairly even blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc too."
Jane Anson
92/100 Decanter
"Tight and chewy yet polished and beautiful. Medium to full body, a pretty core of fruit within the center palate and a flavorful finish. Better than 2015 and on the same level as the excellent 2014."
93-94/100 James Suckling
"Very dark glowing crimson. Great graphite nose. Some rich meatiness. Very much pushed up the ripeness scale. Seems richer than I remember it but it's clearly very ambitious. Thick and sweet. Not really my style but it will over-deliver to those who are still looking for a wine from the 1990s! Drying end. "
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
