2022 Château Sociando-Mallet

The 2022 Sociando-Mallet presents an intense nose with touches of seaweed infusing the black fruit, though it's not as refined as it was from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and plenty of mocha-tinged black fruit, but it loses some precision on the slightly rustic finish. Hopefully, this will improve with bottle age as this estate usually does.

- Neal Martin (01/2025)

This wine is impressive and vertically structured, with quality tannins in very good quantities. Pencil shavings, graphite, minerals, cassis, paprika and fresh blackberries. Compact, dusty and full-bodied, with a tight and lengthy finish. This shows excellent potential for aging. For Haut-Medoc, this is often a smart buy. 63% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc. Drink from 2028 and in the next 15 years, if not longer. (01/2025)

The 2022 Sociando-Mallet is a beauty, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, plums, pencil shavings, espresso roast, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's velvety and layered, with powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. It's a blend of 63% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. As I wrote en primeur, readers who remember how this estate acquitted itself in years such as 2003 and 1990 will not be surprised by its quality in 2022.

- William Kelley (03/2025)