From own cellar - to me this drinks right in the full maturity window of a well-aged left banker. At 12.5% ABV this exhibits a freshness one is not finding in the Bdx post 2000. In terms of palate presence and impact this is closer to a present-day Burg. Lots of forest floor, notes of decay, mushroom, cedar and old library smell on the nose. Some tobacco and faint green notes too. None is front and center and eclipsing other, this is all interwoven and rather restrained prompting one to pay close attention. The palate is commendable for its freshness, reasonable breadth around cool red/blue fruit extending to medium finish. OK, this does not have the layering of a good 2nd Growth let alone a 1st growth.However this goes for a small fraction of the price and lets you see fine nuances aside what a quality mature left banker evolves into after 30+ years and at peak. Hard to see this falling off a cliff but this likely will not gain from further aging.
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This wine was bought was a case as wine future from Morrell. The cork came out nicely. Very long cork. Decanted but very little sediments. The color is still quite bright with barely a hint of tile color. Medium deep red. The nose is dark fruit and light spice and a touch of earth. Not too complex. The taste is consistent with the nose. Not too complex but still lively with a noticeable framework of tannins. Mature but not a bit tired. This wine will hold very well for at least another five years but less likely to further improve. It is a Haut Médoc and performing well but simpler than I had wished. Bought at around $12 so it has been a good buy.
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Found one more bottle hiding in the cellar, didn't expect much but was very pleasantly surprised... closed and old for 45 minutes but slowly opened and gave up what it had after 90 minutes. Lots of fun to drink an old Bordeaux with all the nuances. Gives me reason to be optimistic about several other oldies still down there.
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Top-mid shoulder ullage and soaked cork. Nice nose of graphite/pencil shavings, hot gravel after a quick summer rain, black currant, spice and charred oak. Silky on the palate, this is well in decline, but still a pleasure to drink. A better cork would have made a big difference. It's really quite a bit more delicious than I'm letting on with the score! 88
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Comes across as remarkably youthful for a 37yo wine. High shoulder fill and brilliant crimson color. Nuanced nose of herbal lift mixed with tertiary fruit notes. Palate is quite silky with lush mature fruit notes and mostly integrated tannins. Moderate legtht on the finish—here it shows it’s age a bit but this was a delightful mature bdx that drinks above its “pedigree”.
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Cork on this bottle only had a 1/4 inch of cork that wasn’t saturated but the wine survived. Had to pour small amounts and not swirl . Nose was oak Burrell , mushroom , leather , forest floor. Pallete was tart dry cranberry , hibiscus , mushroom , leather . Would drink sooner rather and later . Wine tasted great and if sat in glass a few minutes it completely flattened out
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Slow ox for two hours. This opens up in the glass a bit more over the following hour. The nose shows tobacco and herbs. The palate is medium to full bodied with much of tannin resolves. A nice core black and red fruit, tar and earth but it’s fairly rustic on the edges and doesn’t really follow through on the finish.
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Coravin fun - Italian investigations plus supper selection (My place, Kent Street): Pretty nose; biscuit, blackcurrant and slight red currant, tiny touch of raisin. Pyrazine, leather, savoury spice are in support. Juicy, fleshy, dark fruits, tiny green capsicum, tannins are flour textured and persistent, long, lovely, wonderfully balanced.
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Nice ruby red color. Earthy nose with mild tannins. Gave this about 30 minutes to open up. Oak, leather and tobacco. It is very nice, but starting to fade. Drink up.
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Med-garnet with tawny accents at the edge. Beautiful nose of red currants, charred oak and a hint of mint. Medium-bodied and glides across the palate! The tannin has completely resolved. This is old bones, but still offers delight. Drink up. 89
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OK, it's finally done... 88 at best on opening, faded rather quickly to tart and astringent. Unfortunately, I have three more bottles that will become a cellar decoration :(
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Tonight this was dark garnet color, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of black truffle, smoke, black tea with subtle notes of vanilla and tangy spice on a lingering modest tannin finish.
Still nice, but past peak. Ripe black currants, red currants, black cherries. Tomato leaf. Tobacco, graphite. Medium + body with a very small amount of acid and tannins. Drank great for an hour, then started to gently disappear. Drink these now!
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Birthday wine 2020’s cork was in decent shape—it was soaked through but came out in two pieces. Initially the wine was a bit light and floral but as it sits open in the bottle for an hour or two it is gaining weight and power and beauty with gravel, cocoa powder, green pepper and grape leaf on the nose. The palate is complex and delicious with ripe blackberry and red currant—still quite good fruit and great acidity for a 35-year old wine. Forest floor and white button mushroom notes appear on the long finish. Tannins are still present but super smooth at this point. A fantastic wine in a great place but it’s not getting any better so drink it if you got it!
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Used an ah-so to open the bottle, cork in pristine condition, soaked 3/4 of the way up and came out easily in one piece. Upon opening the bottle it gave a small puff of aroma that filled the room for 1-2 seconds with leather and cedar before dissipating. I decanted off the sediment (medium) and poured a glass. On the nose: cedar, earth, pipe tobacco, over ripe cherries (but in a good way), cherry jam, plum? With a taste: thin and slightly sour. Fully integrated tannins. Unfortunately not much happening. A bit of a disappointment compared to the nose. With a 1 hr decant: the body is filling in, it is no longer thin. Tertiary complexities start to arrive. Nose matches the flavor profile. A fully mature Bordeaux! Zero upside. Drink up before it falls off the ledge. Very solid wine; procured from Winebid; would buy again. I have 1 left; will drink on my next birthday in 1 year.
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Pours fairly deep in the glass. Surprising for the vintage. Opaque at the core. The nose is initially reticent, only becoming moderately powerful, showing blackberry, black raspberry, green plant stem, celery, green tobacco leaf, and charcoal. Even after an hour the nose isn't particularly powerful. The palate also has some surprising youthful notes to it with medium minus tannin still holding on and moderate acidity. The finish isn't particularly long but replays some of the dark fruit of the nose. Certainly a Chinon lovers Bordeaux.
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The cork was wet nearly to the top, started coming out easily and then broke in two. The lower half did come out ok though. Good color in the glass, clear but not thin. Very little nose, some fruit and a hint of bandaid. On the palate, nice dark cherry/berry fruit with leather and a hint of tobacco. Modest finish. Still drinking well but probably on the decline by now.
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I like this wine a lot. The cork is in great condition. Very long and still elastic and supple. The wine decanted easily as there is virtually no sediment after 33 years. Hey, it isn’t a fake. I bought it as wine future 33 years ago. It came to me from France still in its wooden case and has been in my cellar ever since, so it isn’t a fake. The color of the wine is still quite red and fresh. No tile edge whatsoever. The bouquet at first was subdued. The taste also was closed at first but it opened up in a ship decanter quickly. The wine had a nice cedar and briary nose. There is lots of fruity perfume and a bit of flowery perfume. The taste is consistent with the aroma. Also nice depth of dead leaf and clove-like fall spices. The wine shows a great deal of the firm tannins. Not harsh but certainly there. The alcohol is in perfect balance. It is a lovely wine to drink with a classic French meal. If it had these qualities in greater intensity and quantity, it would have been a great wine. It is just a very good one and eminently enjoyable. Balance is the key. All fits together to make a pleasure giver.
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The entire cork was wet, except the lest 2 mm. Aromas very similar to a St. Estephe, first with metallic minerals, then more earth/clay, wet brick and tobacco. Some eucalyptus after a while. Some green notes made some tasters believe it was a Cabarnet Franc. Masculine style. After 30 min in the glass the aromas faded.
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CT rating is right on, 88-89. Cork wet all the way, but the fill was at the neck/shoulder border. Not much sediment, not a good sign for me. Thin and tart at decant, opened bit by bit with air. Some fruit came up but it is clearly way past its prime. Use as an educational tool or for sangria.
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Rather poor cork and mid-shoulder level, despite that still good colour, garnet black-red, little brown, excellent nose, typical Sociando, rich, clean, quite complex, touch rustic but in an almost positive way, has character, clearly northern Medoc, has strength and power even at this age, perfect balance on the palate with long aftertaste, very good indeed, excellent QPR
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Wines 10 years and older (including a 59 Lafleur) (MP's): Others seemed to like this more than I. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has dust, slight black cherries and slight celery. On the palate, this is tart acidity with nice black cherry fruit. Slight tannins. Soft texture. Drying on the finish. It did put on a bit of weight before settling in. Not that it fell off, as it did not, but never a wow either. Certainly at peak or slightly past depending on the bottle, but it is 30 years old. Given that, a real treat.
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I'll refrain from offering a score as this bottle was corked, however behind that the wine is clearly very youthful, showing a serious structural chassis even in the elegant 1985 vintage. Anyone who purchased this on release should feel very smug indeed, because this was an amazing bargain. It's still early days for the 1985 Sociando Mallet!
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Dark Ruby core with brick red hue. Nice elegant nose along with blackcurrant, blueberries and plum intermixed with earth, subtle tobacco, cedar oak, hints of violet and some rusticness. Nice lovely nose. Good robust entry, exhibits blackcurrant and blackberry on palate. Nice youthful notes with lively acidity and structure. Drinking well now although some companions concern if the fruits can outlast the tannins. To me it is very enjoyable and a pleasant surprise. Best Sociando I ever tasted. Very good and show well against other Cru classed Bordeaux tonight.
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Deep, dark reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of mature and developed ripe fruit aromas of cherries, berries & cassis with typical cigar box overtones of cedar & aged tobacco, floral notes of violets, dusty, earthy, olives, leather, herbs, green bell pepper, minerals and a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced, smooth textured, mature & developed, ripe red fruit flavors of sour cherries, sweet berries & plums with earthy, herbs, minerals with a touch of vanilla. Lingering dry finish. Drinks quite well at present should hold at its current plateau for a few more years although I doubt any further develop would occur.
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Great leather on the nose. Burnt rubber as well. A little thin and very unripe sour cherry on the front of the palate lasting throughout, with notes of salty smoky green pepper on the palate fading into the middle as well. 89-90
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Last bottle and not good. Every bottle I have had since December, 2012, has been poor. All of the bottles I have from this case (dating back to 1998) have had soft corks. I see some tasting comments about a bad cork or flawed bottles. I believe this vintage has a tendency to poor corks (at least my case did). I should have been more aggressive about drinking it up, as a bottle consumed in May, 2012, was still very good.
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deep black-red colour with only slightest brown rim, youthful looking, nose very fruity, hints of estery characters that are a bit unusual for Bordeaux, not really classic on the nose, palate has very good fruit, balanced, again hints of this slightly strange character, good balance and finish, certainly still in prime drinking window
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Opened at Otis' CDP. 2nd time I have had this wine. Last time was 2 years ago. A lighter brownish red color. Notes of roasted peppers and red berries. Soft tannins. Still drinking well with a similar score as when I last had it. 88 points.
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Another leaker. Drinkable, but advanced beyond other bottles I've had. I picked up a bad batch of these from two places (WineCommune and WineBid). The photos and fill looked good, but all had leaked under the foil. I get the nasty suspicion someone knowingly auctioned their poorly stored or otherwise flawed bottles. Caveat emptor; I know this is one of the risks of backfilling my cellar. I still wish bad karma on anyone who knowingly sells their defective wines. Mine go down the sink, not to some unwitting bidder's cellar.
Aromas of earth and leather with red fruit and a touch of tobacco. Resolved and mature and nicely balanced. Good intensity and length. Mature, but should be able to hold up for quite some time.
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Young and red color. Classic Medoc on the nose. Red fruits. Silky tannins. Delicious and elegant. An impressive wine that is better than many classified Medoc growths.
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1985 Bordeaux Blind (Berkeley): Group's #7; my #6; 1 first; 2 second; 0 third; 3 last. Closed on the nose. Flavors of dark fruits, cassis, and spice. Full-bodied, with balancing acidity and a medium finish.
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Our generous friends shared this bottle with us. Classic old school Bordeaux, takes about 30 minutes to start to show. Nice color and nose, if I tasted blind I would not have put this at 25+ years, still fresh and vibrant wine. Cork was a little dry but the bottle was well stored.
Red Fruits and earth to start, as it opens you get the Bordeaux pencil/graphite nose (which I love), cigar box, then it opens to a floral character. Lavender, rose, black cherry, anise in the nose and finish. Medium bodied. Tannins are very soft and round.
Would last all night and continue to evolve if you are patient. Has life left in it, but would drink up in the next few years if you have this wine.
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Somewhere between past prime and over the hill. A little fresh leakage isolated to the tip of the cork under the foil may explain it, or maybe this vintage of Sociando is tired.
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A fine claret, still showing well -- no browning at edge. A subtle, understated wine -- not a powerhouse but well balanced, with a touch of fruit left. I wouldn't wait on this but contrary to other reports, it's still drinking well.
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When corona forces you to work at home (March 28, 2020) than you go cleaning, so I found this tasting note. Lively, but not deep colour, charming, bit one-dimensional nose, soft, round taste, even a bit juicy, but there is no depth in the wine.
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Opened by Otis. 1985 was a good year on the left bank. I thought this wine was holding up very well. Showed much better than the 1983 Lafon Rochet. Solid fruit and good depth. 89 points.
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Garnet color, showing some age at the edge but with a darker core. Notes of black currants and plum with meaty undertones. Balanced, wit dark fruit and earthy qualities on the palate. Medium+ finish. A strong showing from this bottle.
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Amazing bright for it's age. Nose of dried earth, pyrozine, strawberry jam, rose petals, and cassis. This aged wonderfully. The bright fruit on the palate would not suggest the age of this wine. Wish I had more.
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Stored with other bottles of same vintage, all in fine shape. So...? Cork was beginning to come apart; and all voted not to decant, but maybe we chose wrong: dumb nose, muddled flavors all out of balance, thin and lifeless. Did not come together by end of meal and overshadowed by other enological entries that night.
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The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Strawberry, Black currant (cassis), and Strawberry Jam. The body is Medium. The wine is textured Smooth. The wine finishes Medium.
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SIGHT: Clear, bright. Brown to very dark garnet, fading to brick, salmon, and bright orange. NOSE: clean and expressive. Barnyard, potpourri, forest floor, dried earth, bell pepper, spice, sawdust, black cherry. PALATE: dry. leather, sour cherry, bell pepper, dried earth, spice, cranberry, granite. ASSESSMENT: medium to medium minus alcohol. Medium plus acidity. Medium tannins. Medium plus complexity and finish. Fruit is still there as well as acidity. Wine is well-balanced, elegant, and smooth.
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Sociando Mallet Vertical (Chestertown Maryland): On opening, the 1985 was bright and pleasurable. The finish was shorter than the 1982, but the bottle was not over the hill. The ’85 did not evolve much over the afternoon, but did maintain its flavor and structure throughout. While it lacked the depth of the ’82, it was still a favorite amongst many of the tasters
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I've had this for over 10 years. Stiill looks youthful. Subdued nose, light cassis but little more. Solid wine, a bit lacking in substance perhaps, a faint hint of green but good cassis dominated flavours.
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Medium bodied - bright lively forward red fruit flavors highlight with hints of raspberry, black cherry, anise and leather on a moderate tannin flavorful finish.Tasted from magnum - lots of life left - no signs of age in this 25 year old.
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The cork was completly soaked but intact.Decanted for one hour.Rather reticent nose with some tobacco notes.Light to medium bodied palate with tobacco,saddle leather and a little fruit left.Resolving tannins.Quite enjoyable still but it is time to drink up.
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opened this at 1pm for a wine event at 7:30 in the evening. it took about that long for the wine to open up. nice aromas of leather and cigar box. I think i could sniff this wine all day. The palate was enjoyable with still a few tannins, but they weren't as soft and silky as I would have liked.
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I would drink up on this if you still have any. Tannins are totally integrated, very smooth, tart cherryish fruit, some leafy qualities. Nice, and holding.
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at first - very strong alcohol in the nose, but quickly substituted by leather. very interesting... drinking this wine was more of a study than enjoying it. barnyard.
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When you smell the wine you realize that 1985 was a good and classic vintage in Bordeux. But when you taste the wine you also realize that wines from 1985 weren´t built for the long haul. Today, the 1985 Sociando-Mallet is just a thin and dried-out wine, that should have been drunken years ago. Only the classic bouquet keeps the score relatively high. 83 points, should have been drunken
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Started thin and weedy upon opening but blossomed with an hour of air. Medium bodied, balanced but with the emphasis on the fruit rather than tension between acidity and tannin like most '85s. Core of red fruits and tobacco with a little green pepper making it slightly more vegetal than I would have liked. Will live for a while but fully mature and a classic example of good resolved claret.
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Good drinking - not spectacular and not quite the equal of the 1985 Château Léoville Barton that we drank right before (which was a clear and strong 95!!!!). The color was turning tawny, and the nose as well as taste was past peak but it was still very good and a joy to drink an 85 Medoc.
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Dark inky, but still a youthful purple rim. Austere nose of smoked cheese, dense mushroom and cedar, a hint of dark fruit, but fruit very much in the background. Wood also prominent on palate, but a nice ripe, sweet undercurrant. A nice mature mid level Bordeaux.
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An easy afternoon with close friends (@ PdV): Beautiful complex bouquet with sweetness and good oak. The taste also has some sweetness, but good black currant juice, bitterness and very good tannin. It is mature and great! Long aftertaste with good tannin. Can last for many more years. Great wine!
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An easy afternoon with close friends (@ My place): Fairly light colour. A very nice juicy and fairly complex wine with all you can expect. Now at its peak but definitely can last for a few more years.
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With K at home at dinner (pizza). Very impressive medium-dark ruby color. Nose is reasonably fruity, but not especially concentrated. Somewhat thin and acidic in the mouth. Bitter aftertaste. Decent wine for the vintage. 5-9-12-4: 80/100.
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2/18/2024 - palfr2 wrote:
From own cellar - to me this drinks right in the full maturity window of a well-aged left banker. At 12.5% ABV this exhibits a freshness one is not finding in the Bdx post 2000. In terms of palate presence and impact this is closer to a present-day Burg. Lots of forest floor, notes of decay, mushroom, cedar and old library smell on the nose. Some tobacco and faint green notes too. None is front and center and eclipsing other, this is all interwoven and rather restrained prompting one to pay close attention. The palate is commendable for its freshness, reasonable breadth around cool red/blue fruit extending to medium finish. OK, this does not have the layering of a good 2nd Growth let alone a 1st growth.However this goes for a small fraction of the price and lets you see fine nuances aside what a quality mature left banker evolves into after 30+ years and at peak. Hard to see this falling off a cliff but this likely will not gain from further aging.
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8/13/2023 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine was bought was a case as wine future from Morrell. The cork came out nicely. Very long cork. Decanted but very little sediments. The color is still quite bright with barely a hint of tile color. Medium deep red. The nose is dark fruit and light spice and a touch of earth. Not too complex. The taste is consistent with the nose. Not too complex but still lively with a noticeable framework of tannins. Mature but not a bit tired. This wine will hold very well for at least another five years but less likely to further improve. It is a Haut Médoc and performing well but simpler than I had wished. Bought at around $12 so it has been a good buy.
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6/7/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Found one more bottle hiding in the cellar, didn't expect much but was very pleasantly surprised... closed and old for 45 minutes but slowly opened and gave up what it had after 90 minutes. Lots of fun to drink an old Bordeaux with all the nuances. Gives me reason to be optimistic about several other oldies still down there.
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4/25/2023 - beef1020 wrote:
Notes of leather, mushroom, and earth. Nice acidity, fully tertiary flavor with a slight hint of oxidation on the nose.
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10/23/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 88 Points
Top-mid shoulder ullage and soaked cork. Nice nose of graphite/pencil shavings, hot gravel after a quick summer rain, black currant, spice and charred oak. Silky on the palate, this is well in decline, but still a pleasure to drink. A better cork would have made a big difference. It's really quite a bit more delicious than I'm letting on with the score! 88
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10/23/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Comes across as remarkably youthful for a 37yo wine. High shoulder fill and brilliant crimson color. Nuanced nose of herbal lift mixed with tertiary fruit notes. Palate is quite silky with lush mature fruit notes and mostly integrated tannins. Moderate legtht on the finish—here it shows it’s age a bit but this was a delightful mature bdx that drinks above its “pedigree”.
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6/25/2022 - Guitarian1982 wrote:
Cork on this bottle only had a 1/4 inch of cork that wasn’t saturated but the wine survived. Had to pour small amounts and not swirl . Nose was oak Burrell , mushroom , leather , forest floor. Pallete was tart dry cranberry , hibiscus , mushroom , leather . Would drink sooner rather and later . Wine tasted great and if sat in glass a few minutes it completely flattened out
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2/20/2022 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Slow ox for two hours. This opens up in the glass a bit more over the following hour. The nose shows tobacco and herbs. The palate is medium to full bodied with much of tannin resolves. A nice core black and red fruit, tar and earth but it’s fairly rustic on the edges and doesn’t really follow through on the finish.
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2/4/2022 - MJM4032 wrote: flawed
Cork showed some leakage - flawed even with cellar storage since purchased at retail
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10/16/2021 - chatters Likes this wine:
Coravin fun - Italian investigations plus supper selection (My place, Kent Street): Pretty nose; biscuit, blackcurrant and slight red currant, tiny touch of raisin. Pyrazine, leather, savoury spice are in support. Juicy, fleshy, dark fruits, tiny green capsicum, tannins are flour textured and persistent, long, lovely, wonderfully balanced.
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7/31/2021 - Robwild Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice ruby red color. Earthy nose with mild tannins. Gave this about 30 minutes to open up. Oak, leather and tobacco. It is very nice, but starting to fade. Drink up.
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2/13/2021 - Robwild wrote: 88 Points
Decant for at least 1 hour. a bit astringent and headed over the hill. Not a group favorite. Drink up.
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1/29/2021 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 89 Points
Med-garnet with tawny accents at the edge. Beautiful nose of red currants, charred oak and a hint of mint. Medium-bodied and glides across the palate! The tannin has completely resolved. This is old bones, but still offers delight. Drink up. 89
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10/17/2020 - seijaro wrote: 87 Points
OK, it's finally done... 88 at best on opening, faded rather quickly to tart and astringent. Unfortunately, I have three more bottles that will become a cellar decoration :(
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10/7/2020 - eyesnwine wrote: flawed
Corked. NR
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9/5/2020 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
Tonight this was dark garnet color, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of black truffle, smoke, black tea with subtle notes of vanilla and tangy spice on a lingering modest tannin finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/big-bottle-birthyear-mania-for-wedding.html
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7/22/2020 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still nice, but past peak. Ripe black currants, red currants, black cherries. Tomato leaf. Tobacco, graphite. Medium + body with a very small amount of acid and tannins. Drank great for an hour, then started to gently disappear. Drink these now!
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7/4/2020 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Birthday wine 2020’s cork was in decent shape—it was soaked through but came out in two pieces. Initially the wine was a bit light and floral but as it sits open in the bottle for an hour or two it is gaining weight and power and beauty with gravel, cocoa powder, green pepper and grape leaf on the nose. The palate is complex and delicious with ripe blackberry and red currant—still quite good fruit and great acidity for a 35-year old wine. Forest floor and white button mushroom notes appear on the long finish. Tannins are still present but super smooth at this point. A fantastic wine in a great place but it’s not getting any better so drink it if you got it!
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7/2/2020 - pa1966stang Likes this wine: 92 Points
Used an ah-so to open the bottle, cork in pristine condition, soaked 3/4 of the way up and came out easily in one piece. Upon opening the bottle it gave a small puff of aroma that filled the room for 1-2 seconds with leather and cedar before dissipating. I decanted off the sediment (medium) and poured a glass. On the nose: cedar, earth, pipe tobacco, over ripe cherries (but in a good way), cherry jam, plum? With a taste: thin and slightly sour. Fully integrated tannins. Unfortunately not much happening. A bit of a disappointment compared to the nose. With a 1 hr decant: the body is filling in, it is no longer thin. Tertiary complexities start to arrive. Nose matches the flavor profile. A fully mature Bordeaux! Zero upside. Drink up before it falls off the ledge. Very solid wine; procured from Winebid; would buy again. I have 1 left; will drink on my next birthday in 1 year.
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2/28/2020 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Pours fairly deep in the glass. Surprising for the vintage. Opaque at the core. The nose is initially reticent, only becoming moderately powerful, showing blackberry, black raspberry, green plant stem, celery, green tobacco leaf, and charcoal. Even after an hour the nose isn't particularly powerful. The palate also has some surprising youthful notes to it with medium minus tannin still holding on and moderate acidity. The finish isn't particularly long but replays some of the dark fruit of the nose. Certainly a Chinon lovers Bordeaux.
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2/2/2020 - racerchris Likes this wine: 89 Points
The cork was wet nearly to the top, started coming out easily and then broke in two. The lower half did come out ok though. Good color in the glass, clear but not thin.
Very little nose, some fruit and a hint of bandaid.
On the palate, nice dark cherry/berry fruit with leather and a hint of tobacco. Modest finish.
Still drinking well but probably on the decline by now.
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1/19/2020 - seijaro Likes this wine: 89 Points
Way over the hill, but it's still going. I kinda like it, she didn't.
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11/20/2018 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 89 Points
I like this wine a lot. The cork is in great condition. Very long and still elastic and supple. The wine decanted easily as there is virtually no sediment after 33 years. Hey, it isn’t a fake. I bought it as wine future 33 years ago. It came to me from France still in its wooden case and has been in my cellar ever since, so it isn’t a fake. The color of the wine is still quite red and fresh. No tile edge whatsoever. The bouquet at first was subdued. The taste also was closed at first but it opened up in a ship decanter quickly. The wine had a nice cedar and briary nose. There is lots of fruity perfume and a bit of flowery perfume. The taste is consistent with the aroma. Also nice depth of dead leaf and clove-like fall spices. The wine shows a great deal of the firm tannins. Not harsh but certainly there. The alcohol is in perfect balance. It is a lovely wine to drink with a classic French meal. If it had these qualities in greater intensity and quantity, it would have been a great wine. It is just a very good one and eminently enjoyable. Balance is the key. All fits together to make a pleasure giver.
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1/28/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sociando Mallet 1985. Mushroom and earth. Old and very mature, but still complex and interesting. Drink NOW. 88-89.
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1/12/2018 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
The entire cork was wet, except the lest 2 mm. Aromas very similar to a St. Estephe, first with metallic minerals, then more earth/clay, wet brick and tobacco. Some eucalyptus after a while. Some green notes made some tasters believe it was a Cabarnet Franc. Masculine style. After 30 min in the glass the aromas faded.
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7/13/2017 - seijaro Likes this wine: 89 Points
CT rating is right on, 88-89. Cork wet all the way, but the fill was at the neck/shoulder border. Not much sediment, not a good sign for me. Thin and tart at decant, opened bit by bit with air. Some fruit came up but it is clearly way past its prime. Use as an educational tool or for sangria.
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6/11/2017 - Alaskawino wrote: 83 Points
Decanted but still tight and oak strong. Dust acid and smooth garnet. Nose better than buds dark fruit and oak. Probably past time
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5/25/2016 - red_man wrote: 90 Points
Rather poor cork and mid-shoulder level, despite that still good colour, garnet black-red, little brown, excellent nose, typical Sociando, rich, clean, quite complex, touch rustic but in an almost positive way, has character, clearly northern Medoc, has strength and power even at this age, perfect balance on the palate with long aftertaste, very good indeed, excellent QPR
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3/25/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
Wines 10 years and older (including a 59 Lafleur) (MP's): Others seemed to like this more than I. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has dust, slight black cherries and slight celery. On the palate, this is tart acidity with nice black cherry fruit. Slight tannins. Soft texture. Drying on the finish. It did put on a bit of weight before settling in. Not that it fell off, as it did not, but never a wow either. Certainly at peak or slightly past depending on the bottle, but it is 30 years old. Given that, a real treat.
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2/22/2016 - William Kelley Likes this wine:
I'll refrain from offering a score as this bottle was corked, however behind that the wine is clearly very youthful, showing a serious structural chassis even in the elegant 1985 vintage. Anyone who purchased this on release should feel very smug indeed, because this was an amazing bargain. It's still early days for the 1985 Sociando Mallet!
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7/8/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 93 Points
Dark Ruby core with brick red hue. Nice elegant nose along with blackcurrant, blueberries and plum intermixed with earth, subtle tobacco, cedar oak, hints of violet and some rusticness. Nice lovely nose.
Good robust entry, exhibits blackcurrant and blackberry on palate. Nice youthful notes with lively acidity and structure.
Drinking well now although some companions concern if the fruits can outlast the tannins. To me it is very enjoyable and a pleasant surprise. Best Sociando I ever tasted. Very good and show well against other Cru classed Bordeaux tonight.
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2/18/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep, dark reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of mature and developed ripe fruit aromas of cherries, berries & cassis with typical cigar box overtones of cedar & aged tobacco, floral notes of violets, dusty, earthy, olives, leather, herbs, green bell pepper, minerals and a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced, smooth textured, mature & developed, ripe red fruit flavors of sour cherries, sweet berries & plums with earthy, herbs, minerals with a touch of vanilla. Lingering dry finish. Drinks quite well at present should hold at its current plateau for a few more years although I doubt any further develop would occur.
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11/21/2014 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great leather on the nose. Burnt rubber as well. A little thin and very unripe sour cherry on the front of the palate lasting throughout, with notes of salty smoky green pepper on the palate fading into the middle as well. 89-90
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8/4/2014 - WineGuyFL wrote: 85 Points
Last bottle and not good. Every bottle I have had since December, 2012, has been poor. All of the bottles I have from this case (dating back to 1998) have had soft corks. I see some tasting comments about a bad cork or flawed bottles. I believe this vintage has a tendency to poor corks (at least my case did). I should have been more aggressive about drinking it up, as a bottle consumed in May, 2012, was still very good.
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6/23/2014 - redman77 wrote: flawed
Bummer brown vinegar
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4/19/2014 - red_man wrote: 89 Points
deep black-red colour with only slightest brown rim, youthful looking, nose very fruity, hints of estery characters that are a bit unusual for Bordeaux, not really classic on the nose, palate has very good fruit, balanced, again hints of this slightly strange character, good balance and finish, certainly still in prime drinking window
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1/28/2014 - jdlee1232 wrote: flawed
Dead
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9/6/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
Opened at Otis' CDP. 2nd time I have had this wine. Last time was 2 years ago. A lighter brownish red color. Notes of roasted peppers and red berries. Soft tannins. Still drinking well with a similar score as when I last had it. 88 points.
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8/23/2013 - WST Likes this wine: 90 Points
A live bottle after several dead ones (thank you WineBid!)
A little cassis left, lots of wet leather and cedary humidor notes. Medium finish.
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3/29/2013 - WineGuyFL Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Tired and flat. Should have consumed my last three bottles a good while ago.
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1/5/2013 - WST wrote: flawed
Another leaker. Drinkable, but advanced beyond other bottles I've had. I picked up a bad batch of these from two places (WineCommune and WineBid). The photos and fill looked good, but all had leaked under the foil. I get the nasty suspicion someone knowingly auctioned their poorly stored or otherwise flawed bottles. Caveat emptor; I know this is one of the risks of backfilling my cellar. I still wish bad karma on anyone who knowingly sells their defective wines. Mine go down the sink, not to some unwitting bidder's cellar.
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12/2/2012 - nadoum wrote:
Lovely bottle, that has retained an undercurrent of fruit and freshness, even though the brooding soil notes are at the forefront now.
This seems to differ from what others say here about this wine being a little past its peak. Did I get lucky on this particular bottle?
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11/20/2012 - DaleW wrote:
A bit foursquare, without the elegance I associate with 1985, nor the herbal notes I associate with SM. A correct but not exciting claret. B/B-
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11/5/2012 - wickedwax wrote:
Aromas of earth and leather with red fruit and a touch of tobacco. Resolved and mature and nicely balanced. Good intensity and length. Mature, but should be able to hold up for quite some time.
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10/19/2012 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
Young and red color. Classic Medoc on the nose. Red fruits. Silky tannins. Delicious and elegant. An impressive wine that is better than many classified Medoc growths.
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9/4/2012 - psrv wrote: 89 Points
1985 Bordeaux Blind (Berkeley): Group's #7; my #6; 1 first; 2 second; 0 third; 3 last. Closed on the nose. Flavors of dark fruits, cassis, and spice. Full-bodied, with balancing acidity and a medium finish.
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8/24/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Our generous friends shared this bottle with us. Classic old school Bordeaux, takes about 30 minutes to start to show. Nice color and nose, if I tasted blind I would not have put this at 25+ years, still fresh and vibrant wine. Cork was a little dry but the bottle was well stored.
Red Fruits and earth to start, as it opens you get the Bordeaux pencil/graphite nose (which I love), cigar box, then it opens to a floral character. Lavender, rose, black cherry, anise in the nose and finish. Medium bodied. Tannins are very soft and round.
Would last all night and continue to evolve if you are patient. Has life left in it, but would drink up in the next few years if you have this wine.
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7/31/2012 - WST wrote: flawed
Somewhere between past prime and over the hill. A little fresh leakage isolated to the tip of the cork under the foil may explain it, or maybe this vintage of Sociando is tired.
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7/1/2012 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Cherry, mineral, earth, drinking well, but time to finish up. Still elegant and delicious.
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5/24/2012 - jdlee1232 wrote: 88 Points
A fine claret, still showing well -- no browning at edge. A subtle, understated wine -- not a powerhouse but well balanced, with a touch of fruit left. I wouldn't wait on this but contrary to other reports, it's still drinking well.
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11/14/2011 - FransS wrote: 86 Points
When corona forces you to work at home (March 28, 2020) than you go cleaning, so I found this tasting note. Lively, but not deep colour, charming, bit one-dimensional nose, soft, round taste, even a bit juicy, but there is no depth in the wine.
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10/6/2011 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
Opened by Otis. 1985 was a good year on the left bank. I thought this wine was holding up very well. Showed much better than the 1983 Lafon Rochet. Solid fruit and good depth. 89 points.
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8/27/2011 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Garnet color, showing some age at the edge but with a darker core. Notes of black currants and plum with meaty undertones. Balanced, wit dark fruit and earthy qualities on the palate. Medium+ finish. A strong showing from this bottle.
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7/16/2011 - jlimberg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Amazing bright for it's age. Nose of dried earth, pyrozine, strawberry jam, rose petals, and cassis. This aged wonderfully. The bright fruit on the palate would not suggest the age of this wine. Wish I had more.
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5/16/2011 - neuron wrote: 80 Points
Stored with other bottles of same vintage, all in fine shape. So...? Cork was beginning to come apart; and all voted not to decant, but maybe we chose wrong: dumb nose, muddled flavors all out of balance, thin and lifeless. Did not come together by end of meal and overshadowed by other enological entries that night.
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1/29/2011 - kolbei Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks Ruby colored.
The legs are Medium.
It smells like Strawberry, Black currant (cassis), and Strawberry Jam.
The body is Medium.
The wine is textured Smooth.
The wine finishes Medium.
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1/10/2011 - jlimberg wrote: 90 Points
SIGHT: Clear, bright. Brown to very dark garnet, fading to brick, salmon, and bright orange. NOSE: clean and expressive. Barnyard, potpourri, forest floor, dried earth, bell pepper, spice, sawdust, black cherry. PALATE: dry. leather, sour cherry, bell pepper, dried earth, spice, cranberry, granite. ASSESSMENT: medium to medium minus alcohol. Medium plus acidity. Medium tannins. Medium plus complexity and finish. Fruit is still there as well as acidity. Wine is well-balanced, elegant, and smooth.
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10/9/2010 - pvdjr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Sociando Mallet Vertical (Chestertown Maryland): On opening, the 1985 was bright and pleasurable. The finish was shorter than the 1982, but the bottle was not over the hill. The ’85 did not evolve much over the afternoon, but did maintain its flavor and structure throughout. While it lacked the depth of the ’82, it was still a favorite amongst many of the tasters
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9/26/2010 - MRichman wrote:
A nice drink, a bit light in the pants but with a pleasant sweetness. Lacked gravity. This is probably heading downhill at this point.
B
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6/13/2010 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
I've had this for over 10 years. Stiill looks youthful. Subdued nose, light cassis but little more. Solid wine, a bit lacking in substance perhaps, a faint hint of green but good cassis dominated flavours.
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6/6/2010 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
Medium bodied - bright lively forward red fruit flavors highlight with hints of raspberry, black cherry, anise and leather on a moderate tannin flavorful finish.Tasted from magnum - lots of life left - no signs of age in this 25 year old.
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5/22/2010 - Henman wrote: 89 Points
The cork was completly soaked but intact.Decanted for one hour.Rather reticent nose with some tobacco notes.Light to medium bodied palate with tobacco,saddle leather and a little fruit left.Resolving tannins.Quite enjoyable still but it is time to drink up.
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4/4/2010 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Opened about an hour before dinner, left in bottle. Opened up to be an excellent medium bodiesd wine. So sign of fading.
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1/31/2010 - dave smigielski wrote: 85 Points
opened this at 1pm for a wine event at 7:30 in the evening. it took about that long for the wine to open up. nice aromas of leather and cigar box. I think i could sniff this wine all day. The palate was enjoyable with still a few tannins, but they weren't as soft and silky as I would have liked.
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5/16/2009 - stuthomas wrote: 90 Points
Not a tremendous amount of complexity but in this case that was enjoyable. Decanter for only 30-45 minutes before starting.
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4/12/2009 - sleepyhaus wrote:
I would drink up on this if you still have any. Tannins are totally integrated, very smooth, tart cherryish fruit, some leafy qualities. Nice, and holding.
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3/27/2009 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, vanilla, earth flavors, soft, fine tannins. Medium bodied, drinking nicely.
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9/23/2008 - spsong wrote: 91 Points
at first - very strong alcohol in the nose, but quickly substituted by leather. very interesting... drinking this wine was more of a study than enjoying it. barnyard.
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6/22/2008 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Delicious cherry, earth, mineral flavors, nice structure, drinking beautifully. Soft tannins
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2/21/2008 - onaip01 wrote: 83 Points
When you smell the wine you realize that 1985 was a good and classic vintage in Bordeux. But when you taste the wine you also realize that wines from 1985 weren´t built for the long haul. Today, the 1985 Sociando-Mallet is just a thin and dried-out wine, that should have been drunken years ago. Only the classic bouquet keeps the score relatively high. 83 points, should have been drunken
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12/25/2007 - no leashes wrote: 88 Points
Soft, with dark cherry and cedar flavors. Not much acid or tannins remain, so drink up.
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8/24/2007 - chbeaumont wrote: 89 Points
Garnet; rounded, smooth, Medocian fruit; fully mature, classical claret, lovely & soft; gentle, attractive finish. Another accessible, correct - score 16
Remains deep;fragrant, chocolatey, leafy overtone; soft, velvety, refr acidity, warm fruit. Fully mature, drink soon. score 15
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6/30/2007 - Zweder wrote:
At first a bit organic, but that disappeared quickly. Full bodied and ripe, but still some cassis fruit left. Very nice drinking now.
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4/2/2007 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Soft, but ample fruit still left. Nice dark cherry, tobacco, cedar and cassis flavors. Drink now.
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2/9/2007 - Tree512 wrote: 90 Points
Started thin and weedy upon opening but blossomed with an hour of air. Medium bodied, balanced but with the emphasis on the fruit rather than tension between acidity and tannin like most '85s. Core of red fruits and tobacco with a little green pepper making it slightly more vegetal than I would have liked. Will live for a while but fully mature and a classic example of good resolved claret.
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9/13/2006 - MRichman wrote:
1985 - Soft fruit, not a lot of structure. Well resolved. Some found a note of TCA, but I did not.
B/B+
Sociando Vertical in NYC 9-11-06
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8/27/2006 - poncho wrote: 87 Points
Deep ruby color, strong tabacco/chocolate flavours. Still a bit closed. slight unpleasant vegetal undertone.
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6/12/2006 - boss wrote: 87 Points
Good drinking - not spectacular and not quite the equal of the 1985 Château Léoville Barton that we drank right before (which was a clear and strong 95!!!!). The color was turning tawny, and the nose as well as taste was past peak but it was still very good and a joy to drink an 85 Medoc.
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2/15/2006 - KRB wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle of wine that is really hitting it's stride currently.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 85 Points
Full red. Funky nose. Not good. 1/06
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7/7/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Dark inky, but still a youthful purple rim.
Austere nose of smoked cheese, dense mushroom and cedar, a hint of dark fruit, but fruit very much in the background.
Wood also prominent on palate, but a nice ripe, sweet undercurrant.
A nice mature mid level Bordeaux.
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1/7/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Ripe cassis nose with some thyme and dried herbs. Youthful with considerable potential. Powerful but remarkable balance. Latour? (Group = 88.4)
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3/7/2004 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Special Bordeaux tasting for a group that wanted to taste mature wines (@ Klap by AS and me): Deep bouquet with leather and black berries as well as pleasant vanilla. On the palate cassis, black berries, cherries, butter, leather and some herbs. Good acidity and tannin. Beautiful wine. More soft and friendly than the 1986.
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11/22/2003 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends (@ PdV): Beautiful complex bouquet with sweetness and good oak. The taste also has some sweetness, but good black currant juice, bitterness and very good tannin. It is mature and great! Long aftertaste with good tannin. Can last for many more years. Great wine!
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9/20/2003 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
BLACKBERRIES AND BLACKCURRRENTS IN THE NOSE WITH A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS. DEEP JAMMY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR. STILL NEEDS TIME THOUGH STILL ENJOYABLE.
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4/12/2003 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends (@ My place): Fairly light colour. A very nice juicy and fairly complex wine with all you can expect. Now at its peak but definitely can last for a few more years.
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4/14/2002 - Henman wrote:
N: cellary and decaying leaves.
P: rather fruity and balanced.
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9/12/1998 - Carniolan wrote: 85 Points
nice
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2/9/1995 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1985 Bordeaux Tasting 10 Wines+ 1986 Gruaud Larose+1967 Chateau Suduiraut (Lafayette, Ca.): Nice cherry fruit on the nose, lots of rich fruit on the palate, good acid, touch astringent, long, long finish. My #7 and Group #9.
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3/26/1991 - MicklethePickle wrote: 80 Points
With K at home at dinner (pizza). Very impressive medium-dark ruby color. Nose is reasonably fruity, but not especially concentrated. Somewhat thin and acidic in the mouth. Bitter aftertaste. Decent wine for the vintage. 5-9-12-4: 80/100.
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