2009 Château Sociando-Mallet

The 2009 Sociando Mallet has a tightly wound bouquet. Mainly red fruit, raspberry and wild strawberry are mixed with cedar and mint, becomes fresh and lively after three or four minutes. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly soft entry, missing some depth (especially for a 2009). A stilted finish that just lacks the flow one would expect. This falls below my expectations compared to previous bottles. This is Sociando-Mallet being its usual unpredictable self.. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.

- Neal Martin (02/2019)

Lots of currants, berries and chocolate on the nose and palate. Full and chewy. Solid tannin structure. Better in 2015. (07/2014)

This is trying hard, with obvious toasty spice joining sweet vanilla, blueberry and raspberry notes, all carried by more exuberant toast through the finish. Ambitious, but not quite polished and integrated. Drink now through 2016.

- J.M.

This uncompromising property has turned out a backward, forbiddingly tannic wine that, even in this very opulent and flamboyant vintage, will need a minimum of 10-15 years of cellaring yet keep for 40 or more years. Opaque black/purple, with notes of crushed rock, white flowers, graphite, blueberry and cassis, the wine is tight and needs to be coaxed from the glass. It is medium to full-bodied, with an excruciatingly tough-textured finish. Everything is here, and the wine is set for a long life, but it is not the least bit charming and certainly won’t be for at least another decade.

- Robert M. Parker, Jr. (12/2011)