Ch Sociando-Mallet

This is an estate which I have tasted a good number of times, but like Ch Haut-Bergey, I could not recall how many times I have done so. Sociando-Mallet is an estate well known for the quality of its wines, but due to the decision of its owner, it has not been listed as one of the Medoc Cru Bourgeois. Tracing its history back to the 17th century when the land was part of the estate of a Basque nobleman named Sociando, it was later acquired by Madame Mallet in 1850 when it was noted to be a leading cru in the commune of St Seurin in the Haut Medoc north of St Estephe. It was a forgotten and run down property in 1969 when it was acquired by its present owner, who had turned the estate around to achieve a good reputation again.

Recently I tasted the 2005 vintage. It was a purple ruby, with a sweet slightly tannic fruity acid nose. The palate was sweet, slightly astringent and acid with plummy notes, supported by a plummy acid tannic backbone.