04 Sociando Mallet and 02 Matrot Meursault Chevalieres

[Houndsong]

Duly filing my reports.

The Sociando Mallet was a bit sleepy as you might expect. Sadly (for me) I must report a complete absence of green peppers. Other than that, based on this tasting, I would be ready to declare yet another vintage of the century, for despite a somewhat closed-down performance, this wine was so very good and complete in a "normal" Bordeaux kind of way. Good fruit, nice balance, dry and appetizing with some old wood and a swell of fine but firm finishing tannins. This wine shows really fascinating, viscous legs in the glass, hinting at what's to come down the road. Actually and for all that it drank pretty well with the food as it woke up a bit with decanting. This had me feeling this was a more "feminine" Sociando than most - pretty even. Give it another five year plus to open up.

The les Chevalieres was oh so good. A beautiful color - still quite fresh and young looking. Also quite viscous and oily, but fresh in the month too - not stony or steely but more a ripe banana or oatmeal mouthfeel buoyed by balancing acidity. This had a bit of nutmeg in the nose and just a touch of green apple mixed in with the riper fruit flavors. But, I think that's all for this wine. That's one I could drink all the time without worry about missing out on what the premiers crus were delivering at a stiffer tariff.

[JimHow]

My case of 2004 Sociando shall remain nailed shut for at least another half decade.

[DavidG]

Nice report Hound. The '04 sounds more my style than I usually think of for Sociando. Anyone have the '00 version of this recently? Wondering if they still need time.

[JimHow]

When a man is tired of Sociando-Mallet he is tired of the Haut Medoc....

[Bacchus]

You guys make me feel huge amounts of regret. A while back a small amount of the 04 SM was available here; and I failed to act. Price was pretty good too (for Canada!), and I still didn't buy (my excuse is I was saving my pennies for the 05 Haut Bailly). The stuff didn't last a week! Grrrrrrrr! Of the 03, 05 and 06, does any stand out as "necessary?"

[Houndsong]

We're here to enable, not regret!

If someone could translate that into Latin then you're halfway to a coat of arms.

I have the 02-03-04 now. Each is necessary in its own way. So my advice is to buy 4 of each of the 03, 05 and 06. That seems like a representative mixed case. Then you won't have this angst.

[JimHow]

I too have a case each of the 2002, 2003 and 2004.
At $41 per bottle, it is possibly going to be my only 2010 Bordeaux....

[Houndsong]

So there's a Sociando Mallet exemption too? Or does that come under the general "reasonably priced" exemption?

[Bacchus]

You're the dawg, Hound! Now I know why I participate in this forum.

[Bacchus]

"We're here to enable, not regret!
If someone could translate that into Latin then you're halfway to a coat of arms."

Okay Hound, how about: sumus ad permittendum non paenitendum
Maybe Jim can put that up on the banner.

[Houndsong]

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