21673 customer reviews

Château Sociando-Mallet - Haut-Médoc 2020

Name: Château Sociando-Mallet - Haut-Médoc 2020
Brand: Sociando-Mallet
Price: 35.90 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.2 (35 reviews)

Haut-Médoc|Red wine

4.2/5 (35 customers)

96/100

Yves Beck

95/100

Terre de Vins

2*Étoiles

Hachette

94/100

James Suckling

93/100

Vinous

93/100

RVF

freshness

elegant

best-seller

"The star of the Médoc at its very best!"

“ Sociando-Mallet brilliantly lives up to the promise it showed during the en primeur tastings. Of course, the aging process is noticeable, but it serves merely as a backdrop that gives way to notes of black berries, licorice, graphite, and mint. The wine stands out for its fullness, elegance, and serenity. Its fleshy, somewhat smooth tannins go hand in hand with a structuring acidity that enhances the fruity expression of the finish. This is a truly great Sociando-Mallet. “There’s someone up there who must be very proud!” (Yves Beck 2022) - Delivery in a wooden crate is available for orders of 6 bottles of this wine (depending on the country and selected shipping method)

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21673 reviews

-20€

Starting at €99 on your first order

Estate

Sociando-Mallet

Vintage

2020

Designation

Haut-Médoc

Region

Bordeaux

Grape Varieties

53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc

Regions

Gravel and clay soils over a clay-limestone subsoil

Viticulture

Reasoned

Grape Harvest

Hand-harvested, in crates with sorting on a table before and after destemming, sustainable organic soil amendments, no Botrytis treatment

Wine Production

Traditional vinification in temperature-controlled cement and stainless steel tanks; fermentation lasts 25 days

Livestock Farming

12 months in barrels (90% of which are new)

Alcohol content

14%

Eye

Intense, brilliant ruby color

Nose

Plenty of freshness, finesse, and power; aromatic complexity; red fruits; spices with subtle floral notes; and rich, inviting aromas

Palate

A fresh and fruity attack, roundness, good body, elegant tannins, aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, and raspberry, enhanced by notes of violet and toasted hazelnuts, with a lovely, lingering finish

Serve

At 17-18°C

Open

2 hours before

Drink starting at

2027

Drink before

2040+

Guard

2045

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with lamb chops, roasted quail with cherries, or a chocolate fondant with custard...

More information at Sociando-Mallet

More information at Haut-Médoc

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated estate (2022 guide): 3*Stars (High-quality production that serves as a benchmark in its sector)

About the estate:

A leading figure in the Médoc, Jean Gautreau is one of the architects of the region’s wine revival. Respected by his peers, he has elevated Sociando-Mallet to the status of a cru classé, significantly expanding the vineyard since his purchase in 1969. Today, of the estate’s 85 hectares, about 50 are of third- or even second-growth quality. Assisted by his daughter, Jean Gautreau is one of the few owners who personally oversees the winemaking process. These are benchmark wines, with an inimitable character and identity. True to their Médoc heritage, they always exhibit great finesse. The estate now features a guesthouse, Villa Sociando, located at the Port de la Maréchale, 3 kilometers from the estate.

Guide Hachette des vins

Wine Rating (2024 Guide): 2* Stars (Outstanding Wine)

Rated Estate (2022 Guide) Award-Winning Wines (This producer's wines regularly receive awards from the guide)

About the wine:

Once again, this vintage lives up to its reputation and its terroir with a wine that gains in intensity as the tasting progresses. With a lovely red color, it begins with a somewhat reserved aromatic profile before revealing its full complexity upon aeration: crushed strawberry, blackcurrant, subtle toasty notes, and sweet spices. The fruitiness is beautifully balanced with the oak, coming through in a full-bodied, dense, and crisp palate that combines power and freshness. 2027–2033

About the estate:

In the 17th century, it was a noble estate belonging to a Basque family, the Sossiandos. Confiscated during the Revolution, it has had several owners. At the end of the last century, Jean Gautreau recognized its potential. A wine broker at Miailhe, he founded his own company in the late 1950s to sell wines in the Benelux countries. A client commissioned him to find an estate with excellent terroir. He discovered Sociando-Mallet: overlooking the estuary, a superb hill of gravel on a clay subsoil. Since the client did not follow through, he purchased it for himself in 1969, restructured it, expanded it (originally 5 ha, now 82), and built a winery. Although unclassified, it is one of the appellation’s leading estates, now run by Sylvie, the daughter of Jean Gautreau, who passed away in 2019.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide to the Best Wines of France

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (2025 guide) 93/100

Rated Estate (2023 Guide) 1*Star (Up-and-coming stars or high-quality winemakers producing wines of a high standard—you won’t be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)

About the wine:

Sociando 2020 is quite full-bodied, characterized by a significant proportion of Merlot, which contributes to its round and smooth character. It is pleasant and appealing; this is a wine that will age well over the next decade.

About the estate:

Sociando-Mallet is a well-known brand that has won the hearts of true wine lovers. Many vintages from this lovely estate in the northern Médoc are on par with very good classified growths. Jean Gautreau, who spent half a century building Sociando-Mallet, passed away in late 2019, passing the torch to his daughter Sylvie. Widely available in France and Belgium, the wine remains a safe bet and, above all, offers consistently excellent value for the price. A major replanting project was launched about ten years ago, leading the estate to produce wines with a greater emphasis on Merlot. These wines have more roundness but likely less character. We no longer quite find the magical brilliance of the 1982, 1990, or 1996 vintages, which remain benchmarks.

Vinous

Wine rated (2022 guide) 93/100

About the wine:

The 2020 Sociando Mallet has retained the impressive aromas it displayed in the barrel, with beautifully defined notes of blackberry and raspberry, crushed violet, and a hint of cedar. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with a firm structure, a slightly powdery texture, and a refined framework, offering plenty of freshness and tension leading into its graphite-infused finish. Bravo! 2027–2045

James Suckling

Wine rated (2023 guide) 94/100

Rated Estate (2021 Guide) Recommended

About the wine:

It offers a lovely nose of dark spices, walnut shells, and hints of cedar, with a backbone of black fruit, leading into a medium-bodied palate with firm, finely polished tannins. Refined and well-balanced with a velvety texture. A lingering, chalky finish. Best enjoyed after 2026.

Terre de Vins

Wine rated (2021 guide) 95/100

About the wine:

Sociando-Mallet at its finest: velvety richness, refined tannins, and a subtly minty freshness in the aromas, with deep notes of black fruit. The balance is remarkable. The savory finish seems to go on forever, and the wine offers a delicious lingering presence on the palate.

Yves Beck

Wine rated (2022 guide) 96/100

About the wine:

Sociando-Mallet brilliantly lives up to the promise it showed during the en primeur tastings. Of course, the aging process is noticeable, but it serves merely as a backdrop that gives way to notes of black berries, licorice, graphite, and mint. The wine stands out for its fullness, elegance, and serenity. Its full-bodied and somewhat smooth tannins go hand in hand with a structuring acidity that enhances the fruity expression of the finish. This is a truly great Sociando-Mallet. There’s someone up there who must be very proud! 2027–2045

Customer Rating

4.2/5

based on 35 reviews