Sociando-Mallet @ Sutton Inn 4/29

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:20 pm

: the Sociando lineup; EB46F8E8-BD43-4605-B3F1-BEC0A73AA40B.jpeg (62 KiB) Viewed 2337 times

A bunch of us Sociando-philes got together yesterday at Sutton Inn in East Midtown NYC to check in on the wines of Sociando-Mallet. We were able to put together a pretty nice lineup with 13 vintages spanning a 30+ year period which afforded us an in-depth look at the wines. Here were my quick take impressions for each flight;

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:24 pm

1982 Sociando-Mallet (Faryan) - not a clean btl, little urinal stink and tobacco and the offness followed through on the palate
1986 Sociando-Mallet (Ramon) - initially very Tempranillo smelling for me as it was dark fruited and led to a softer red sticky fruited and earthy palate, very good
1986 (blind mystery wine (JC)) - lovely mature nose of vegetal, herbal, tobacco, leather that was lighter with a red fruited palate, very good and a little better while also being my wine; 1986 La Lagune

1996 La Lagune > 1986 Sociando > 1982 Sociando

: First flight with charcuterie; AF9DBF1B-752F-457D-82C9-9135F14D4B91.jpeg (103.98 KiB) Viewed 2342 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:27 pm

1988 Sociando-Mallet (Dale) - little VA to start but it blew off to show tobacco and herbal notes with a darker fruited licorice tasting palate, very good and should have revisited.
1988 (blind mystery wine (GregK) - classic Bdx nose, red fruited earthy and cedar nose let to a red fruited with a rustic drying finish, very good and guessed something from Saint Estephe and it turned out to be 1988 Cos d’Estournel

1988 Cos > 1988 Sociando

: 1988 with grilled asparagus, motels and polenta; 4976386A-A328-4DCD-9405-9749413C0AFF.jpeg (94.84 KiB) Viewed 2342 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:29 pm

1989 Sociando-Mallet (Ross) - 1st btl corked but luckily Ross brought a back up second btl which was spectacular and was my WOTN. Beautiful, pure, dark fruited earth and tobacco driven nose which followed through on the palate, excellent.
1990 Sociando-Mallet (Greg) - so this was redder cassis driven, softer and sweeter on the palate and while it was a notch below the 1989, it actually worked better with the carmelized onions which carried a sweetness

1989 Sociando > 1990 Sociando

: Flight of the night with spring onion gnocchi with caramel I RS onion, gruyere and crispy bread crumbs; 0DB5D701-7EAF-4FD5-8CED-72BAEE23E7C1.jpeg (108.81 KiB) Viewed 2335 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:32 pm

1995 Sociando-Mallet (Ramon) - corked.
1996 Sociando-Mallet (Dale) - beautiful dark fruited, tobacco and cedary nose and was def in the optimum drinking zone, excellent.

1996 Sociando

: In btw courses, got to get through all of the wines!; AF2EC577-8A10-4663-A96D-ED795E9F50A4.jpeg (117.45 KiB) Viewed 2339 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:34 pm

2000 Sociando-Mallet (JC) - another beautiful dark fruited and bell pepper nose and where on the palate I picked up some vanillin from the oaking, stylistic change? Revisited later and the green meanies had fully taken over.
2004 Sociando-Mallet (Ted) - dark fruited, herbal and oak on the nose and follows through on softer, rounder styled palate, ehh.

2000 Sociando > 2004 Sociando

: Lamb shank special was falling off the bone!; 2EAF1CEE-D28F-4637-929B-42953BB01804.jpeg (110.69 KiB) Viewed 2346 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:37 pm

2009 Sociando-Mallet (Ted) - ripe dark fruited, cedar and herbal nose that follows through on plusher styled palate than anything that preceded it, very good.
2010 Sociando-Mallet (Tim) - nose a little closed but still primary on the palate with a big dose of fruit, promising and I would give this a Blanquito before revisiting.

2009 Sociando > 2010 Sociando

: 15D5382A-8D92-48F8-A9FE-75B62DD353D0.jpeg (111.83 KiB) Viewed 2327 times

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:38 pm

2011 Sociando-Mallet (Ted) - raspberry, milk chocolate and oak nose that follows through on a rounder, softer palate, somewhat underwhelming.
2016 Sociando-Mallet (Ted) - dark red fruited, earthy, spicy loamy vanilla-ness and leads to a plush and polished palate packed with fruits, great promise.

2016 Sociando > 2011 Sociando

johnz · Post by **johnz** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:05 pm

Thanks for these notes, as I too am a Sociando fan. Too bad about the 1982 as that is by far the best Sociando I've ever had, and still drinking well.

--Gary Rust

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:05 pm

Wow! I'm anxious to try the 2016.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:07 pm

Great notes. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a special evening.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:10 pm

Okay so where to start, I def preferred the 1996 and earlier bottlings to the more youthful wines which began to show more oak which I hope will further integrate and then become moot. Top 3 Sociando’s on the night for me were the 1989, 1996 and the 1990 and all would have scored in the 92-93 point range. It was a fun night with excellent food, a super lineup and some great conversation which ranged from the wines to careers to the most recent GoT episode ... and I hope you enjoyed the read and you can probably also compare and contrast my notes to those from Dale and Ramon on Wine Beserkers.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:21 pm

Wow very nice lineup. I need to figure out some pretext for a NYC jaunt!

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:51 pm

Arv - I discussed that very topic with Dale and Ramon last night and we jointly came up with the themes for Friday/Saturday night dinners; Friday will be Southern Rhône and Saturday will be the wines of Saint Emilion. How does that sound to you?

PS and there were 3 asparagui on my plate but I forgot to take my picture until I was two-thirds of the way through so it was in fact a full serving of vegetables

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:05 pm

JimHow wrote:Wow! I'm anxious to try the 2016.

Jim - I think that the 2016 will definitely be in your wheelhouse.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:29 pm

I just bought 6 2016 Sociando Mallet!

Thanks JC.

Ognik · Post by **Ognik** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 6:55 pm

Great line up. Thank you for sharing. Love this estate.
89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 00, 03, 05 and 10 are all great.
Not tasted 01, 11 and 14 yet.
Best.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:33 pm

Cheers JC.

When the 89 SM is on it it is really good. Back in the day - I think in 2006 - we did a similar event in mid-town and the 1989 was my wotn.

I received a circular from a wine merchant today who claimed that the 2018 is even better than the 2016, and I am inclined to believe that could be true.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:48 pm

Very nice report jckba, on one of my favorite Haut-Médoc.

From what I'm reading, and forgetting the corked wines, a great quality/ price ratio, a very unique style too for that wine.

Personnally, I tried the 1986, 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and liked them all. My favorites 1990-1996-2001. I bought some 2016 and looking forward to it. And now will look for 2018. Seems like many lower classification wines achieved to produce great wines in 2018...

I would be interested to try a 40 or 50 years old Sociando Mallet, just to see if the mixture of terroir/grape blend/higher production numbers can lead to long live wines.

I was at the Chateau, on my own in 2012, and had a great tour, even chatting 10-15 minutes with Mr. Gautreau himself! A very nice vineyard.

Nic

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:08 pm

A few thoughts: correct bottles of the 82 SM are sensational, probably my favorite vintage from here, but I’ve had 2-3 flawed bottles for every correct one over the last 7-8 years (there’s been a steady stream of the 82 on Winebid for decent prices, so it’s easy to source)... I am a huge fan of the 90 and that vintage never seems to fail me... I’ve never had a correct bottle of the 89, which I’ve only tried 2-3 times. Most of what I see of this on the secondary market has low fills and looks like it was cooked... my current darling is the 95, which really wowed last year. If that bottle was representative, the 95 is at least as good as the 96... I bought a fair amount of the 05 SM and I’ve seen really favorable notes on it on BWE (from Ian?), but I’ve yet to work up the courage to try one... I like the 00 and 01, but they do not seem the equal of the older stuff, at least not yet, so I’m giving them another 5 years (just to mix things up)... I own more of the 03 than any other wine, and while I like it plenty, I doubt it will ever be as good as I once hoped it would be (“ another 1990”)...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:19 pm

1996 Sociando-Mallet... the FIRST BWE wine of the year.

Don't forget the 2002, it is a beauty.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:01 am

This is from Neal Martin article on Sociando in March that seems particularly germane here:
“In the mid-1990s we see a slight change as the wine is entirely raised in new oak. I am not completely sold on this approach. The aromatics on the 1996 Sociando-Mallet are rather dictated by the cooperage, unlike the slightly superior 1995. In a less ripe vintage such as in 1998, I find the new oak disproportionate to fruit that cannot quite give it the necessary support, perhaps one key difference between Sociando-Mallet and the First Growths that share similar terroir.

The 2000 Sociando-Mallet was not shown at the vertical and has always been a controversial wine. I remember being impressed during en primeur, and yet subsequent encounters have revealed a nagging greenness that leaves a bitter/vegetal note on the finish. I dug out another bottle from my cellar, but it too was disappointing compared to other vintages. Perhaps this is one year when some green harvesting or de-leafing would have benefited the wine. Far superior is the 2001 Sociando-Mallet, which is more harmonious and fresher, showing no trace of underripeness. The 2003 vintage favored the northern Médoc and especially Saint-Estèphe, and while you can shell out for the touted Montrose and Cos d’Estournel, the best value for money might be the outstanding Sociando-Mallet. In this season, Jean Gautreau’s eschewing of effeuillage was advantageous; others cut back canopies and left exposed bunches to be grilled by the merciless heat that summer.

Even better, perhaps, is the benchmark 2005 Sociando-Mallet, where everything comes together, sporting fine-boned tannins that are not always associated with this cru. This is the first vintage where I feel more bottle age will not go amiss.”

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:48 am

Interesting note. My recollection of my one bottle of the 2005 was that it was just too hard, like the 2000 Montrose I drank young with Jacques and others, and the 2004 Lascombes I drank young with the Blanquito Brothers and others. I'm sure the 2005 will free up but I'm guessing it will take many blanquitos and should never be Howed, perhaps even in the lifetimes of any of us over 60. I'm really anxious to give the 2016 a spin.

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed May 01, 2019 9:17 am

Nice notes. I last had the 96 with Patrick and Tom in Denver in July and it was very good and very earthy.
I remember liking the 1982, 1989 and 1990 and less the 1995 that took forever to soften.
Too bad it was corked, it would have been interesting to find out if it evolved.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Wed May 01, 2019 11:32 am

I opened my first Sociando in February, a 2011. I liked it, wish I had bought more than 2 when it was only $32. The second bottle will rest for a few more years along with the two 2010s I have. I also have my eye on a few 2014s right now.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Wed May 01, 2019 12:12 pm

Chris —

2014 is a very good Sociando despite the fact that we did not have it in our lineup the other night. Shoot me a text with the price that you find for the 2014 as I might be able to do better and save you a couple of bucks.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Wed May 01, 2019 1:56 pm

I think a case of the 1996 SM was my first official BWE devils enabled purchase. The devils remain active. They know who they are.

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Wed May 01, 2019 8:15 pm

I dont get jealous often....I'm jealous

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Thu May 02, 2019 5:33 pm

You'll find impressions from my visit at Sociando Mallet on the 10th April 2019 - https://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/vint ... 16-15/2018

I'm going to taste 2000 SM on coming Saturday.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Thu May 02, 2019 9:53 pm

I’d love to do a vertical tasting comparing the normale with the JG cuvee. I’m gathering a few for a small one. By night’s end, BobbyGoulet will be in the fetal position, binki in his mouth, whining for momma.

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Sat May 04, 2019 10:24 pm

Soon after Bobby breaks out the camera to document my downfall....every blue moon the pics resurface to serve as a bleak reminder.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun May 05, 2019 4:33 pm

: AA7592C9-E85C-4C86-8C54-26CB3AA55C2D.jpeg (121.42 KiB) Viewed 1917 times

I have no idea what Goulet is rambling about . . . .

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun May 05, 2019 5:00 pm

Like! Especially the blue toenails holding up the wine glass!

But clearly that picture was taken in 1979.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun May 05, 2019 11:08 pm

Those are mine. Thanks.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:01 am

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:32 am

Fly wide open...this pic is toe'rrific
..Sexy AF

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:06 pm

#banned

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Tue May 07, 2019 12:38 am

It's a shame what we have done to this fine forum.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue May 07, 2019 12:42 am

Now that my stomach problems are behind me I want to come hang out with you guys but we may have to wait until next winter....

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue May 07, 2019 1:05 am

Ouch, i guess there are some characters more dangerous than Mickey Mouse in Orlando!

And I did not know that you had to hold your glass of Chinon that way.

Nic