The 2005 Chateau Sociando Mallet

[Nicklasss]

Uncorked and in the decanter. Happy birthday Tim.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

A civilized 2005, excellent but doesn't transcend anything. Concentrated red fruit and red licorice, far away from blackcurrants. Good structure and length and acidity, not creamy, very fresh. But missing something compared to the 1996 or 2000 or 2003, and this is sad. But drinks really well. Tn :89.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

More air, more time, more blackcurrants emerging. Sleek, with also some spicy oak. Becoming something slightly better. +1 points. A saline shell finish. Mineral.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

Election here in 3 days, 05 Sociando, while not the greatest, has a better offer than any party.

On September 17th, i was in Québec city with my mother for the opening show of McCartney's Freshen up tour. I'm still shake from that night, what the 05 Sociando will never offer.

Nic

[JimHow]

Ha I took my mother to see McCartney 14 years ago in Boston. What a night!
I don't recal being a big fan of the 2005 Sociando.

[marcs]

I think the 2005 SM is fantastic, better than e.g. the 1996 and 2003 and at least as good as the 2000, but it's very far from ready to drink. In my judgement when I had it, it's a shut down wine and drinking very well in spite of that.

[Blanquito]

Hmmm, I’ve not had the 05 SM more than once or twice, and it has been a while, but I was very impressed by it ~8 years ago. My impressions jive with Marcs.

So, did I overrate this or does it just need more time?

On a secondary note, is any other vintage of Sociando likely to come close to the awesome 82 and 90 SM? I haven’t had one that I think will, despite being a big fan of the 95, 96, 00 (but it’s quite green even by SM’s standards), 01, 03 and the 05.

[robert goulet]

Agree Nick...I've stated this in the past... '05 sociando is a good wine but not '03 good...just missing that xtra gear.

[Nicklasss]

I agree with you Robert. Not that the 2005 was bad, but I guess it was "diluted" to me, for a 2005. But the last glass was the best, air improving it a bit, but I was expecting more from the mixture Sociando + 2005.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

I opened another bottle of the 2005 Chateau Sociando Mallet last night, to do a virtual tasting with JeanFred (he opened a 2007 Chateau Léoville Barton).

Two years later, and i decanted the wine for 90 minutes, it is now more coming on it's own. Last night it was a real Haut-Médoc.

Color was still very dark red. Nose is complex while not on "full gear" yet. Very nice concentrated darkberries and lack cherries, mixed with some meaty notes, red licorice and nice soil minerals. In mouth, like on te nose, no green pepper, great concentrated darkberrie flavors, with lot of ripe caressing tannins, blackcurrants, soft spicy oak. The mouth has an attack full of elegance, and is becoming more intense on oak and kind of spicy dry cherries, and the long final is like long cashmere of fruit and minerals. Will be even better in 5 years (one blanquito). Tn: 92.

I thought this is very Haut Médoc by its style, minerality and slight austerity, but starting to drinking well.

Nic

[robert goulet]

Agree Nic... For me 05 is a slight step down from '03 and '00... I've never had the 1996

[marcs]

I can't really say as I certainly haven't tasted all vintages of SM, but I think the 2005 has a good shot at becoming the greatest Sociando Mallet ever made. But it was nowhere near ready when I last tried it. The energy, lift, and acidity were tremendous and it was notably more elegant than other SMs I have had. But I agree with Nicklass that it probably shouldn't be opened till 2025 for optimum results. I have six bottles and am going to try to wait to open any until then.

[Nicklasss]

From that bottle of 2005 last night, i tend to think marcs is right, and that 2005 Sociando Mallet has everything (complexity, balance, concentration, definition) to be a great Sociando. The 2003 is excellent, but marked severely by the vintage.

The 2005 might equal or be better than the 1990, in let say 10 years. But "might" is not without risks.

Nic

[robert goulet]

I'm laughing, because I realized I responded 2x with the same message on different dates to Nic...I never looked at the date of the post, nor did I remember I responded
...senile in my 40's, damn.


To add..I've had numerous Sociando '01's and (1)'97 in the last month...it's very possible the '01 has come from questionable storage. I've tasted 5 so far this month...2 were very nice, 2 pretty good and 1 meh, past it's prime...all the corks but one broke with a standard double hinged cork screw. The 2 which were very good, have that classic style to where u might think you're drinking a lovely loire chinon, just gorgeous....the '97 was also quite classic and though slightly less complex, the aromatics were intoxicating
..Sociando, always the reliable classic claret stalwart.

[Blanquito]

We’ve discussed this before I know, but the 90 Sociando is by far my favorite along with correct bottles of the increasingly decrepit 82. No other vintage has the depth of the 90. Some dilution on the mid palate is often my biggest/only reservation with Sociando, though I have hopes like you guys that the 05 has another gear like the 90.