2019 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Haut-Medoc

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. 

2019 was a 97-point vintage according to Vinous Media. For Sociando-Mallet, those exceptional conditions helped create a “complex and elegantly muscular” Bordeaux that’s emblematic of the Haut-Médoc. Its high quality is fitting for Gautreau’s final vintage. He died just after harvest in 2019, and the estate is now run by his daughter Sylvie and grandson Arthur.

Tasting Notes: 55% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. Dominated by black fruit aromas with a touch of minerality and well-integrated, elegant oak. Fresh. Straightforward. Wonderful Length.