2016 Sociando Mallet

[marcs]

Took a flyer on this after seeing it for $40 at Trader Joes. My first 2016 and my first young Sociando in quite some time. Sociando Mallet is always interesting as a benchmark of how Bordeaux is changing, since they have had the same producer for so long, and I think mostly the same terroir (although I know they have added more to their holdings and invested more in their facilities as they become more well known).

This was a rather rich and thick wine for a young Sociando. It had the same "cool" core of blackberry fruit that is classic left bank Bordeaux and classic Sociando, so no issue there, but there was zero hint of any green or vegetal quality at all (although in the background that is what makes the fruit "cool" I think). Some combination of strong tannins and sediment made it feel thick on the tongue, it had almost a coffee-ish quality to the texture. Tannins were quite present and not subtle or finessed, mouth-drying, but the fruit core dominated so much and was so powerful that even those strong tannins took a back seat, and it wasn't any problem to drink. A very, very robust wine. Sort of classical compared to a lot of current Bordeaux but not really classical compared to old Sociandos I remember tasting young. Very left bank flavor profile but fruitier, "heavier" and less acidic lift/green quality than I remember.

[JimHow]

Great notes. But did you like it?

[Nicklasss]

Hi marcs.

Great note and i guess this will be my style of Sociando and my style of vintage. Can't wait to get my 2016 in a few days. I have some Sociando in the lot.

A few weeks ago, I had a 2016 Chateau La Croix Saint Pierre, Côtes de Blaye, and liked the density and the freshness of the wine. Not very complex, very young, but reminded me a 1996 but just with a bit more concentration.

Nic

[marcs]

Great notes. But did you like it?

Good question. I liked it but I didn’t love it. It had weight and depth and traditional Bordeaux flavors, no international style sweetness, so it was a very satisfying wine, good “oomph” to it. But it lacked some freshness, vividness, elegance, and complexity to move to the next level. A good $30-40 wine but I wouldn’t pay more.

[Nicklasss]

Come on
It is a very young Bordeaux just out of a boat trip.

Sound nice anyhow because "like" at 3 years old will be "love" at >10 years old.

Nic

[Comte Flaneur]

Last night we drank two clarets, one in the Keatsian autumnal sunshine of its existence the other just emerging into the resplendent sunlit uplands of its drinking plateau.

The former was DDC Rouge 1976, which had a pale translucent hue and light texture, which suggested some fragility so we drank it out of narrow glasses, while the second one was a more opaque purple hued 2000 Sociando Mallet.

Rather than fade the DDC gained structure and was a delightful mature graves with the whole gamut of smoke, scorched earth, mineral and gravel, before becoming mushroomy after two hours. A strong showing in what is regarded as a mediocre vintage in which most wines are either dead or on the downslope.

The Sociando was spectacularly good and exuberant with pencil lead, tobacco and gravelly notes, capsicum, iodine, pine cones, cigarette ash/ash tray and rich squashed cherry fruits. You did have the trademark Sociando green tinge in a good way and offset by the ripe, rich exuberant fruit. Meaty and clarety.

A high bar for the 2016.

[JimHow]

Yeah, I've had nine of those 2000 Sociandos over the years and that last one I had earlier this year was absolutely stunning. I have three left.

[Blanquito]

My 2000 SM have shown a lot of variability over the last 3-4 bottles, a couple were excellent and the other two were super green. Too green. I believe it was Orlando Bobby who posed the question if the 00 is getting greener with age, and some bottles sure seem to be.

[Blanquito]

I ordered 6 bottles of the 2016 Sociando for $36. Neal Martin’s note convinced me.

[Blanquito]

I was in Trader Joe’s and recalled Marcus said they had the 16 Sociando in stock, so I grabbed one for a try as it was not at the UGC. Overall, I agree with Marcus’ impressions— this is big and ripe for Sociando, not showing any telltale green notes. I found it less tannic and astringency than his bottle, but concur it lacked elegance (not really something I expect from this Chateau though). This sums the style nicely “Sort of classical compared to a lot of current Bordeaux but not really classical compared to old Sociandos I remember tasting young”. That all said, I think I liked more than he did, I’d probably say 91 pts today and it could improve with 15+ years in the cellar.

Here are some more detailed impressions:
Popped and poured. Out of the gate the bouquet was all Napa, borderline garish even. The nose shows a kiss of new oak, milky notes mingled with purple-grapey scents, and candied fruit like a concentrate of cassis. After the confected nose, the palate is more restrained with a dry, minerally attack. The midpalate seems light with flavors of cassis and iodine and the finish is very bitter despite smooth tannins. This not what I’d expect from our traditional, old standby chateau... Fortunately with some time in the decanter this shaped up considerably. The nose remains ripe but starts to reveal fresh herbs and crushed black pepper with floral notes of violets and black rocks. There’s good brightness now giving the palate a juicy, fleshy impact, and the bitterness disappears. The fruit deepens, showing a plummy profile. Still quite smooth and ready to go for a young Sociando, but I start to enjoy and think this will turn out just fine. But shows a ripeness and richness from start to finish that’s a little crazy for Sociando.

[marcs]

Very nice writeup and very close to my impressions, with differences probably coming from our different palates and how we express things (I think a big reason for divergence in tasting notes is that people develop their own private languages for wine sensations). I talked a lot about tannins in my writeup but they were not harsh -- I had to seek them out as they were buried under the plush fruit -- so there is no contradiction with your "smooth tannins". The one difference is you described a light midpalate while I found the whole wine to give a heavy, weighty, "thick" impression in the mouth. It had yummy fruit but lacked some refreshment quality.

[Blanquito]

Yes, I was struck by how similar our takes were overall.*

* the light midpalate I got went away with enough air, and it thickened up a lot by Sociando’s standards.