2016 Sociando Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau Haut-Medoc

About the Wine 

The story of Jean Gautreau, owner of the winery Chateau Sociando-Mallet, captivated the world.  A passionate athlete, who arrived at the semi-finals of Roland Garros at just 18 years old, decided to switch gears and follow his entrepreneurial spirit, creating his own negociant firm back in 1957.

Gautreau, a really talented businessman, became a wine broker and innovated the wine industry in Bordeaux by spotting the opportunity for commercial growth; he introduced the idea of a “mobile bottling unit” to supply château- bottled wines to his customers.

Later on, he discovered Sociando- Mallet in the village of Saint- Seurin- de Cadourne, ten kilometers north of the celebrated region of Pauillac in Bordeaux, with the most incredible view of the Gironde. Despite the fact that the property was in need of renovations. The terroir was excellent and the domain afforded a magnificent view overlooking the Gironde Estuary. 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.

He began by purchasing 5 hectares of territory; and later, his vision and talent drove him to improve progressively and expand the vineyards to produce the most superb, fresh, and wonderful wines. Seeking the best possible quality, Jean Gautreau, renovated the estate’s buildings, built a barrel cellar, and gradually improved the vineyards. Today, the property is comprised of 83 hectares producing nearly 450,000 bottles a year.

2016 Sociando Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau Haut-Medoc has been highly praised by some of the most important wine critics like Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate, who said that he “admires the completeness of this Sociando-Mallet” and that this wine is outstanding and “one of the best wines produced at this estate in the northern Médoc.”

On top of that, this wine was produced in one of the most celebrated vintages from Haut-Medoc. Vinous blessed this year with a 98-point review, and stated that the wines are “absolutely harmonious.”

This classic Bordeaux blend, according to James Suckling “offers an array of ripe and succulent dark berries with some chocolate and wet, black earth. The palate has great density and depth.”

Tasting Notes: 50% Merlot, 47%Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. 2016 Château Sociando-Mallet is a classic deep dark color wine with black fruit aromas and flavors, hints of minerality, and well-integrated oak. It is an elegant, fresh, straightforward wine with a great capacity to age. This wine is perfect to pair with aged cheese, beef, land poultry, or game.

Reviews

This offers an array of ripe and succulent dark berries with some chocolate and wet, black earth. The palate has great density and depth. Really suave, dense, and mouth-filling flavors carry long and even. Excellent quality here. Try from 2023.~95 Points, James Suckling

The 2016 Sociando-Mallet has a refulgent purple/black color. It has a very intense and rich, you might say "ambitious" bouquet with layers of small black cherries, blueberry, and a touch of sloes, less tertiary than previous vintages and certainly more opulent. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin that almost disguises the firm structure underneath. I admire the completeness of this Sociando-Mallet, the neatly embroidered new oak, and the freshness of the finish. The 2015 Sociando-Mallet did not fire on all cylinders last year, but this 2016 is totally convincing. It comes highly recommended as one of the best wines produced at this estate in the northern Médoc. This is an outstanding wine from Mon.Gautreau.~92-94 Points, Wine Advocate.

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