2009 Sociando Mallet, Haut-Médoc
SKU #1108028
94
points
James Suckling
Shows precision here, with floral, blueberry and mineral aromas that follow through to a full body and firm and racy tannins. Very polished texture to this wine. Goes on for minutes on the plate. Back in form! Try after 2017.
(2/ 2012)
89-91
points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Deep ruby. Blackcurrant, licorice, underbrush and smoky oak on the inviting nose, with hints of tobacco and minerals. Dense and chewy in the mouth, with brooding, ripe flavors of blackberry, dark plum and smoky, chocolatey oak given lift by firm acidity. Finishes with subtle length but its assertive tannins will require at least several years of patience once this wine is released. I'm a big fan of this overachieving property, which for my money usually produces one of the top five or six values in all of Bordeaux That said, I wonder if this chunky wine has the concentration to surpass top recent releases.
(6/ 2010)
90
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
(2/ 2012)
Jancis Robinson
Deep purple. Scented and very well integrated but not as intensely sweet as most St-Estèphes. Hint of yeast extract. Very interesting! Lots of vitality. Lightly drying on the finish but with real character and restraint - just the merest hint of whisky barrels.
(4/ 2010)