CHÂTEAU SOCIANDO MALLET

2021 Haut Médoc

EN PRIMEUR

54 Merlot, 44 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 Cabernet Franc | 90% new oak for 12 months | 13% alc | 48 hl/ha. This is an immaculate property. Even stone is in its place on the driveway, the winery gleams and the professionalism and attention to detail is evident in every inch of this organisation. It follows that this attitude finds its way into the two superb wines. A fabulous wine with a lovely Cabernet theme, and while Merlot leads the way on the fiche technique, it is Cabernet in colour, perfume and mid-palate depth. The length and weight are perfectly poised, and while this is not a powerful wine, it has discreet muscle and confident power in its core. This is a fabulous wine that requires serious consideration in one’s cellar. The silkiness is incredibly alluring, and the freshness on the finish is uplifting, perfectly completing the picture. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Sylvie Gautreau is the 2nd generation owner of this well loved 77ha estate, and has produced an excellent wine within the vintage. This is not up there with the most concentrated of Sociandos, but there is liqourice, fennel, marzipan, spice, and juicy blueberry fruits. Tasted twice, each time clear that this is an enjoyable wine but also that even at this benchmark estate you can see the challenges of the vintage in the Haut-Médoc appellation. 48hl/h yield, Michel-Bernad Couanson consultant. Harvest September 27 to October 13. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

This is very solid, with blackcurrants and tar and chewy tannins. Medium-bodied with an impressive structure and a chewy finish. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

Offering up aromas of dark berries, licorice, cigar wrapper and loamy soil, the 2021 Sociando-Mallet is medium to full-bodied, bright and concentrated, with an impressively layered core of fruit, tangy acids and a long, saline finish. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, with late-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon, picked through to October 14, providing the heart of the wine. Rating: 89-91 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)

The first village as you travel north out of Saint Estèphe is Saint-Suerin-de-Cadourne, home to a small cluster of cru bourgeois, not the least of which is Château Sociando-Mallet commanding fine views over the River Gironde to the east of the village. In the early 17th Century it was the estate of a Basque family called Sossiondo, the other half of the name coming from naval captain Achille Mallet who married the owner in 1831. As with many Bordeaux estates, the late 19th and early 20th Centuries were not kind to Sociando-Mallet, so when local merchant Jean Gautreau happened upon it in 1969 it was in a sorry estate. Realising the potential, Jean bought the estate and owns it to this day. With only 5ha under vine, no cellar and the buildings in decay he had a lot to do. Vineyards were replanted, and plots were purchased from neighbours – today Sociando-Mallet, on various plots around the village spreads to 85ha – and the château and winery were refurbished and restored. The amount of Merlot in the blend has slowly risen over the years and now accounts for 47% of the vineyard alongside 48% Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Cabernet Franc; average vine age about 30 years. The wines of Sociando-Mallet were once relatively under-priced but demand for the wine has risen as more people have come to know it, although being from outside the famous Haut-Médoc villages and the 1855 classification keeps the price under some control. Quite robust wines.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.