Château Sociando-Mallet - Haut-Médoc 2021
2*Étoiles
Hachette
94/100
Terre de Vins
94/100
Yves Beck
93/100
James Suckling
92/100
Robert Parker
92/100
Falstaff
"Inviting, captivating, with impressive concentration for the vintage!"
Sociando-Mallet brilliantly confirms the promise shown during the primeurs. Of course, the aging does not go unnoticed, but it is just an accompaniment that leaves the way open for notes of black berries, licorice, graphite, and mint. The wine stands out for its fullness, elegance, and serenity. Its fleshy, somewhat sweet tannins go hand in hand with a structuring acidity that enhances the fruity expression of the finish. This is a very great Sociando-Mallet. Someone up there must be very proud!" (Yves Beck 2022)
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Eye
Dark color, purple highlights, deep ruby core
Nose
Deep, refined, and complex bouquet with inviting notes of plums, blackberries, blackcurrants, and more subtle hints of terracotta and graphite.
Mouth
Dense and fresh attack, juicy aromas of black fruits. Straightforward and balanced with elegant acidity and silky tannins, elegant and penetrating finish with minerality.
Serve
At 17-18°C
Open
2 hours before
Drink from
2025
Drink before
2040+
Food and wine pairings
Enjoy with roast filet mignon, rabbit with prunes, stuffed cannelloni...
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated estate (2022 guide) 3 stars (High-quality production, serving as a benchmark in its sector)
About the estate:
A key figure in the Médoc region, Jean Gautreau is one of the architects of the revival of its wines. Respected by his peers, he has raised Sociando-Mallet to the level of a classified growth, greatly expanding the vineyard since its purchase in 1969. Today, of the estate's 85 hectares, around 50 are classified as third or even second growths. Assisted by his daughter, Jean Gautreau is one of the few owners who supervises the winemaking process himself. These are benchmark wines with an inimitable touch and identity. Médoc wines through and through, they always display great finesse. The estate now has a guesthouse, the Villa Sociando, at the port of La Maréchale, 3 kilometers from the estate.
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated wine (2025 guide) 2 stars (Outstanding wine)
Rated estate (2022 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer's wines are regularly recognized by the guide)
About wine:
The intense color is matched by an equally expressive nose with lively notes of fresh blackcurrant and red berries, subtly underscored by oak. Aging has beautifully refined the tannins and softened the round, dense, voluminous texture, which enhances the expression of the fruit. Concentrated and endowed with lovely acidity, the future belongs to this wine. 2027-2034
About the estate:
In the 17th century, it was a noble estate belonging to a Basque family, the Sossiandos. Confiscated during the Revolution, it had several owners. At the end of the last century, Jean Gautreau recognized its potential. A broker at Miailhe, he set up his own company in the late 1950s to sell wines in the Benelux countries. A client asked him to find a property with good terroir. He discovered Sociando-Mallet: overlooking the estuary, a superb gravelly hilltop on clay subsoil. When the client did not follow through, he bought it for himself in 1969, restructured it, expanded it (originally 5 hectares, now 82), and built a winery. Although unclassified, it is one of the most important wines in the appellation, now run by Sylvie, daughter of Jean Gautreau, who died in 2019.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rating (2024 guide) 92/100 (Outstanding wine)
Rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About wine:
Sociando-Mallet 2021 has developed well in the bottle, offering aromas of dark berries and blackcurrant mingled with notes of cigar wrapper and pencil lead. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, fleshy and consistent, with impressive concentration for the vintage, soft tannins, integrated acidity, and a penetrating finish. 2025-2041
About the estate:
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Rated estate (2023 guide) 1*Star (Up-and-coming stars or quality winemakers producing good-quality wines; you won't be disappointed when tasting the wines from these estates)
About the estate:
Sociando-Mallet is a highly renowned brand that has won the hearts of true wine lovers. Many vintages from this beautiful estate in the northern Médoc region are equivalent to very good classified growths. Jean Gautreau, who spent half a century building Sociando-Mallet, passed away at the end of 2019, leaving the torch to his daughter Sylvie. Widely distributed in France and Belgium, the wine remains a safe bet and, above all, offers consistently excellent value for money. A vast replanting project was initiated around ten years ago, forcing the estate to produce more "Merlot-dominated" wines. These are rounder, but probably less distinguished. We no longer find quite the same magical brilliance as in the 1982, 1990 or 1996 vintages, which remain the benchmarks.
James Suckling
Wine rated (2024 guide) 93/100
Rated estate (2021 guide) Recommended
About wine:
Aroma of mocha, terracotta, graphite, and black fruit. The palate is elegant and firm, well-structured and concentrated, with medium body and polished, very fine tannins. Beautiful balance and length. Drink from 2025.
Terre de Vins
Wine rated (2022 guide) 94/100
About wine:
Deep and complex, displaying a certain density, Sociando plays in its usual register of noble classicism, without exuberance. Everything is in place, well centered around a straightforward and sapid juice, balanced with a beautiful freshness and a touch of racy tannins. No cheating or showing off, this is a wine that stands tall, true to the vintage.
Yves Beck
Wine rated (2023 guide) 94/100
About wine:
Finesse and complexity are the common thread running through this wine, right from the very first aromas! Sociando has an inviting yet conquering side, offering energy and charm respectively. With good density, the wine has muscle thanks to a juicy acidic structure, while the tannins provide a little breadth. A very fine achievement! 2027-2046
Falstaff
Wine rated (2022 guide) 92/100
About wine:
Dark ruby core, violet highlights, subtle lightening around the rim. Nose of ripe plums, candied blackberries, and candied orange zest. The palate offers delicate herbal spice, concentrated black cherries, fresh acidity, integrated tannins, and an elegantly long mineral finish. It pairs very well with food.