Château Sociando Mallet, Haut Médoc, 2017
Crunchy red berry fruit - plum, cherry, redcurrants and blackcurrants. A little hint of cassis alongside liquorice, pencil lead and cigar embers. A nice salty soy-tinged umami twang appears on the finish. A delicious drinker that still has plenty left in the tank.
critic reviews
Such an effortless sweet appeal to this wine, black fruits laced with cumin, star anise, sage, mint leaf. Not the structure for ageing as with the 2016, but delicious right now and over the next decade, finessed tannins with plenty to enjoy. Harvest September 13 to October 3. No fining, light filtration. Last year with Patrice Laugac as cellar master. 46hl/h yield 90% new oak for ageing, 77ha in production. Michel-Bernard Couasnon consultant.
The 2017 Sociando-Mallet has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, woodland leaves and cedar that gently unfolds with time. There is no sign of any greenness here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, classic or traditional Bordeaux from start to finish with fine delineation on the tobacco-tinged finish. Excellent.