Small Sociando Supper

Five of us got together to look a few flights of this often overlooked château. The original premise being a comparison between the 2003 and 2005 vintages. Plans to compare them bind were scuppered by needing to open a back up bottle and decant this.

• NV Salmon Champagne 100% Meunier Brut Rosé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  100% Pinot Meunier. Both a rose d'assemblage and a rose de saignée. This has an impressive depth to it from the get go. Something meaty is suggested around the table I see where they're coming from. The first aroma I notice is intense Morello cherry this and a touch of smoke are at the core of this with hints of watermelon, lime, mint, ground pepper and rose petal orbiting around this. Palate has lovely weight with strawberry ice and cherry cordial vying for your attention. Lovely length

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• 1995 Château Sociando-Mallet 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  A little more on the red fruits than the 1996 that this is served with. A tad more diffuse. Has a charming touch of savoury greenness on the nose. Not over done there is a touch of balsamic vinegar with air and just a hint of lolly stick. The palate is correct with some plum fruit on entry. Through the mid palate there are touches of citrus zest alongside the fruit. The finish seas some Assam tea tannins with a twist of grenadine and just a touch of gound pepper.

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• 1996 Château Sociando-Mallet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Lovely nose here. Leafy and Cabernet led there is a graphite and cassis core with, cedar, chestnut brazier and some joss stick ash in the margins. Palate is beautifully balanced with fully resolved tannins, Assam tea once more and smoky cassis. Through the mid palate a sweet earth / Rooibos tea note emerges which continues into the more-ish finish.

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• 2001 Château Sociando-Mallet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Gorgeous nose here. Like a classy beef pho there is that rich consommé quality with ginger, lemongrass in the margins. Some incense / joss stick ash as well. Someone around the table suggests touches of cumin and coriander too, agree. Palate is delightful; cool fruited on entry with cassis and cedar this builds through the mid palate with some spiced plum and Earl Grey tea on the finish. Just gorgeous. My wine of the night in a very, very tight field

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• 2002 Château Sociando-Mallet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Slower out of the blocks than the 2001 and 2004 this is served with. When it gets going, basil and summer greenhouse tomato leaf pungency. Some hints of gazpacho in the margins and some blueberry fool with some time in the glass. Palate has under ripe plum on entry, lean and poised. Some raspberry infusion builds through the mid palate. Some Rooibos earthiness and a touch of Assam tea in the margins too mark the finish. Really strong wine in a great flight.

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• 2004 Château Sociando-Mallet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Blue fruited core here with some incense and bacon fat in the margins as the nose builds. Blackcurrant fruit and leaf as well. With air some Biscoff crumb and as a table mate correctly spots some hints of liquorice. Palate has cool fruited greenness on entry, the mi palate sees some spicy plum and a touch of ginger. The finish is so refined with some charming soil tones and just a hint of rosehip. My second favourite wine of the dinner in a very tight field.

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• 2003 Château Sociando-Mallet 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Served alongside a 2005. This is not showing any of the hallmarks of baked fruit so prevalent elsewhere in the Médoc in 2003. It's a cassis led nose with touches of gingerbread, blueberry and conkers. Palate has some Rooibos tea and sandalwood on entry Some pomegranate builds through the mid palate with some rosehip tea. On the finish the tannins are just slightly drying.

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• 2005 Château Sociando-Mallet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Backup bottle kindly opened after a prolonged is it / isn't it quite right discussion. The second bottle is definitely cleaner and shows great potential, I think it's showing might have been affected by its relatively late summoning from the bench and decanting (so less air than all the other reds we had on the night). There is a touch of incense around the cassis core, something herbaceous in the margins too - tarragon? There is something in the margins like some over diluted lemon barley water. Palate has a touch of heat on entry around the plum fruit. The mid palate sees some grenadine build with touches of pomegranate as well. Finish has lovely acids and some touches of rosehip tea. Glad to have some of this in the cellar but based on me choosing the wines that gave the most pleasure on the night didn't quite make it into my top 3

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• 1971 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 92 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

  What a wine! So much going on here. Each time you pick up the glass it changes. The nose opens out with a baked apple and pastel de nata creamy, spicy char. Some pain aux raisin with the raisins evolving to rich Agen prunes. Pistachio and vanilla pod. Even the faintest hint of Roquefort in the margins. The palate is lovely expertly walking the fine line between sweet and savoury. Crisp apple, some strawberry cordial. A touch of Tizer and creme brulee crust as well. From entry to finish the seam of acidity that holds all the above in check is absolutely à point.

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This was a great evening which reinforced how much I like the house style. Qualitatively there was little to choose between the wines and most received some support in the wine of the night voting. Remains a good value and long lived claret.