2001 Sociando Mallet

[Blanquito]

2001 Sociando Mallet (from 375ml)
Ooh, this is good. An intensely perfumed nose of pure black currant, a bit of vanilla new oak, some fire-roasted poblano, and spicy red-fruit cinnamon tea. This is followed by a mouth-filling quaff of chewy glycerin and black cherries, lots of brightness, with large-scaled tannins still holding court on the finish. There's a distinct taste of tar at the end. Drinkable today with red meat, but with a good upside to come. Classic stuff.

[Ken]

Have not posted before but I have certainly enjoyed the commentary in this forum. Your comments on the Sociando Mallet stimulated me to finally speak up.

I have had this wine on several occasions during the past year and agree with your assessment. This is a very enjoyable wine, particularly for the price. My experience of this wine, however, is that the tanins are not particularly noticeable. Had the wine at dinner at a local restaurant, the only one that allows us to bring our own wines. Opened the wine before I left the house and had it with mussels and beef short ribs. This bottle was excellent and the wine has continued to improve. Casis and light wood in the nose, virtually no tanin, lovely finish that persists. Wine should hold for 8-10 years but don't think it will improve much more. I gave it a 92 on the Parker scale.

[Tom In DC]

... I gave it a 92 on the HWSRN scale.

Fixed.

Just kidding! Welcome to BWE, Ken.

[Ken]

I am old enough to remember when Parker first started publishing and had the big fall out with Finigan over the 1982 Bordeaux, which basically established his (Parker's) career. There have certainly been a lot of changes since then.

[JimHow]

Welcome to BWE Ken!

[Ken]

Thank you. Look forward to the conversations.

[Blanquito]

Welcome, Ken!

I see your point per the tannins, and indeed what tannins are there are very soft and pretty ripe, so there's no hardness or drying on the finish. But I do think the flavors (tar, a bit of greenery, a light acrid note) and the tongue coating are from tannins, and these are hiding the fruit's inherent sweetness a bit. But this baby is drinking great now, so you might be right that it won't get any better. I have 5-6 more, so I'll keep a few around to see if more complexity develops.

[Ken]

Thank you. It will be interesting to continue to try this wine over the next few years. At some point, I may try to find out more about tanins, how the chemistry and experience change over time, and how that is (at least partly) a function of the source of the tanin (wood, skin, seeds). This wine certainly makes one appreciate the idea of "soft, round" tanins.

[Houndsong]

I just added some 2004 to my stash.

Has anyone tried the 07? I see it's available at something approaching vintage 2002 prices circa 2006. A small sample (3), but also surprisingly good notes on CT.

[Jay Winton]

anyone tried the 2000 lately? My case remains untouched.

[pomilion]

Recently bought a case of the '05, which is already somewhat approachable and in 10-15 years should be gorgeous.

Welcome Ken.

[Blanquito]

Lots of BWE love for Sociando, and deservedly so. Prices have crept up a bit (the 2000 was ~$30 on release, recent releases are $40-$45), but it can still be found inexpensively if you look (I got a few bottles of the 2005 S-M for $27 all-in at WineBid), and a commerce corner transaction just landed me a case of 2000 and 2001 S-M for $25 each.

Something that really stands out: Sociando is consistently good from vintage to vintage. I've had the Sociando in 82, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 99, 00, 01, 03, 04, and 05, and the style and quality are remarkably good across all vintages. The only ones which really stood out as different were the 1990 and 2003, but even there, it still tastes like Sociando.

Some dislike Sociando's style, finding it foursquare, dull, slow-maturing, and worst of all, green in the extreme. I disagree, finding its style restrained and classic, and the green more like a roasted pepper note rather than some vegetal under-ripeness or herbaceousness. In mature Sociandos, the "green" morphs into a tobacco profile or fades away all together.

[Blanquito]

Jay, I had the 2000 Sociando from half-bottle a year ago, and it was very similar to my 2001 note (though the tannins were firmer). Drinkable now with a decant, but no rush at all, lots of upside still (my total guess is it will peak in 7 years from today!).

[Jay Winton]

Jay, I had the 2000 Sociando from half-bottle a year ago, and it was very similar to my 2001 note (though the tannins were firmer). Drinkable now with a decant, but no rush at all, lots of upside still (my total guess is it will peak in 7 years from today!).

thanks. I didn't think I was in any rush.

[Ianjaig]

Had the 1996 last weekend. Absolutely beautiful, stunning wine. Probably (or very close to) its peak in my opinion.

[stefan]

1996 Sociando Mallet is a long time BWE favorite, Ianjaig. It has come around well and I agree that it is close to its "plateau of maturity".

[Blanquito]

Yes, the 1996 has opened up beautifully in the last year or so.

We had a really good bottle at Jacques and Jill's pool party in 2010: http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... ier#p14195

[JimHow]

1996 Sociando Mallet was our first BWE Wine of the Year back in 2001.
It is a stellar wine. Like you, Ianjaig, I would even go so far as to call it "stunning."

[AKR]

My notes on a bottle of this tonight are almost identical to the last time I had one 3 years ago.

01 Sociando Mallet [Haut Medoc] 13% abv, purchased EP from Table & Vine in Mass., decanted with a couple hours of air, served coolish 60F with bone in NY strips that were prepped sous vide before a few minutes on a hot grill. Coloration is ruby, no lightening at the edges, medium bodied with a charry, smoky nose. I also get bell peppers, basil and celery in the bouquet/palate; to me its apparent as a Bordeaux. The fruit is on the cooler, lean side and all in all I find it a severe wine whose virtue is that it pairs with steaks. It does go well with the meat though, better than a CA cab would have. I split a case of this with BWE'er brodway, and hope he's enjoyed them more than me. I'll give this a B+, and will save the last 4 btls for red meats.

This is a style of S-M that is interesting to try, but not one that I want to use cellar slots on.

PS: kind of cool - a friend of mine who I'm a godparent to one of their six (!) kids - sent me an SMS pic today of a bottle of Faugeres. I'd given them a case to mark the birth year of their kid back in the 90's and they're drinking a bottle tonight with their now (of age!) daughter. They said the 97 is still drinking well too. I must have finished my case by age 5 or 6, and would not have expected that lighter year to keep. Pic is first one or two in here; they made Labor Day steaks too

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3vRkWGCAdrGGwEXUA

[Nicklasss]

Nice report AKR.

I liked the 2001 Sociando in the past, but last bottle i had was what, 8 years ago? Very Sociando in it style this 2001, with green notes but still the cool blackberry fruit.

Nic

[OrlandoRobert]

I just bought a bunch of the 2001 JG Cuvee. Anyone try it yet?

[Ognik]

sorry. spoiler.
I'm a big fan of SM but..... 2001, eight weeks ago was a underperformer. Green streak and unfriendly.
Maybe a bad bottle.....14 more to go. Maybe better bottle next time.
Had much more fun with 97, 98, 03 and 10 lately.

[Comte Flaneur]

I just bought a bunch of the 2001 JG Cuvee. Anyone try it yet?

Yes I bought a six pack last year. Very good wine, Robert. An esteemed wine expert guessed it was 1986 Mouton exactly a year ago. Which it is not. But to get best value out of this stand up for a long time a decant three hours ahead of drinking.

[OrlandoRobert]

I just bought a bunch of the 2001 JG Cuvee. Anyone try it yet?

Yes I bought a six pack last year. Very good wine, Robert. An esteemed wine expert guessed it was 1986 Mouton exactly a year ago. Which it is not. But to get best value out of this stand up for a long time a decant three hours ahead of drinking.

Yay! I love that 86 Mouton.

Funny enough, a well known blogger, a friend of mine, likened the 95 JG to a Lafite. Of course, I loaded up,

Thanks for the info!

[AKR]

Did the JG's cuvee ever make it to normal retail/release, or is everyone hunting this down in auction markets?

[DavidG]

I don’t know that enough of the JG was produced to make it into "normal" retail distribution, but there are a dozen or so non-auction listings on Wine Searcher from a few merchants.

[AKR]

I had a fine bottle of the 2001 yesterday - tannins resolved, sweet fruit, and a fine bouquet. This is probably the best example I can recall of this for my tastes. Maybe its really coming into its own as it hits age 20. Just pop & pour, no decanting either.

[brodway]

Arv

20 years, for my palate, Bordeaux is really at its apex. Agree a lot of 2001's and 2002's are drinking stellar right now.

[OrlandoRobert]

I had the base 2001 wine a few weeks or so ago, it’s in an awesome spot right now. Honestly, one of the better vintages of Sociando, IMHO, in the last 20 years. And the JG cuvee is mind-blowing.

The base wine must be an insider’s wine, as generally Sociando is pretty easy to backfill in the marketplace, including surrounding vintages like 2000 and 2003, yet I rarely see 2001 for sale. If anyone has it, I’d like to buy more.

[AKR]

I found my bottle was best on day 1, tailed off a touch on days 2 & 3.

Perhaps the 2001's were sold through to consumers and didn't make it to the stateside collectors market. The French hypermarkets and cruise ship / BTG / F&B programs can chew up a lot of non trophy wines that are cellarable, but not necessarily investable. So perhaps that's where some of it went.

Had a great 2001 La Grave a Pomerol a few months ago. That's worth the rare backfilling buck in my view.

[Jürgen Steinke]

2001 SM is a fine wine with a cool climate profile. It reminds me on a Paulliac due to its pencil shaving aspect. I think it is a better wine then the 1996.

[AKR]

I had another bottle of the 2001 S-M last night - decanted for an hour - with roast creamers and beef bourgogne. It still shows the strong green peppery / oregano nose, with some sliver of tannins still left, but there is good depth of fruit, a long finish. For me the best way to finish the bottles I have is with steaks or stews.

[JimHow]

I've always been fascinated by the attention given to 2001 here. It seems to be a vintage that avoided my attention.

[OrlandoRobert]

I've always been fascinated by the attention given to 2001 here. It seems to be a vintage that avoided my attention.

Like me with 2002. Had a lovely 2002 VCC, classic and balanced claret. Would have guessed left bank, not much Pomerol markers, but again, was just lovely.

[JimHow]

Wow that's interesting, OB, I've loved 2002 left bank but not so much the right.
But VCC can be an atypical right banker, no?