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Château Sociando-Mallet makes it home in the village of Saint-Seurin-de Cadourne, 6 miles north of the celebrated region of Pauillac in Bordeaux, with the most incredible view of the Gironde. The property’s modern history begins in 1957 when professional tennis player Jean Gautreau—who at 18 years old landed in the semi-finals of Roland Garros (also known as The French Open)—decided to switch gears and follow his entrepreneurial spirit, creating his own négociant firm in 1957.

Before he purchased Château Sociando-Mallet, he made his mark on the Bordeaux wine industry by introducing the idea of the mobile bottling unit to supply château-bottled wines to his customers.

In 1969, Gautreau came upon Château Sociando-Mallet, an estate that was in need of renovations but with a terroir that was superior. Consisting of Günz gravel with clay subsoil, the soils of the chateau’s vineyards are optimal for growing excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and producing wines with wonderful freshness. He renovated the estate’s buildings, built a barrel cellar, and gradually improved the vineyards. Today, the property comprises 205 acres producing nearly 450,000 bottles a year.

The property is now considered by many Bordeaux experts to be the equal of many classified growths. In Liv-Ex’s 2011 version, Château Sociando-Mallet was unofficially ranked as a fifth growth because of its reputation for consistently producing classic Bordeaux with great aging potential. 

The 2018 Bordeaux vintage is widely regarded as exceptional, with critics praising its richness, balance, and aging potential. Vinous Media awarded it 96 points, claiming: "It is a very strong vintage that falls just short of being truly epic."

55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. A full-bodied deep dark color bodied wine, dominated by black fruit flavors and aromas, brilliant, elegant, complex wine with a hint of minerality, and great ability to age.

I like the blueberry, chocolate, blackcurrant and dark chocolate. Some tar and crushed lead pencil, too. Full body and firm, creamy tannins with a lovely texture and roundness. Extremely well polished and exciting. One of the best Sociandos in a long time. Best after 2025. ~95 James Suckling

A beautiful rich damson colour, this is powerful, intense, classic Sociando - and for me it's even better than the 2016. It has good tannins, and lots of them, with a core of plum, damson and cassis with a side of fresh herbs, liquorice and subtle spice. It shows great persistency. A wine to look out for. ~94 Decanter

The 2018 Sociando Mallet, which comes wrapped in a resplendent 50th-anniversary label to celebrate the late Jean Gautreau’s acquisition of the estate, takes some time to really coalesce on the nose, eventually revealing boysenberry and mulberry scents and cedar and light earthy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that belie the concentration of this Sociando-Mallet. Very cohesive, it delivers plenty of red fruit mixed with sous-bois and tobacco, though there is just a little more dryness on the finish than I was expecting. Give it 3–5 years in bottle if you can. ~93 Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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