Château Sociando-Mallet is an unclassed
Bordeaux wine producer from the
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
Haut-Médoc. The
winery is located on the Left Bank of the
Bordeaux wine regions, in the commune of
Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne north of
Saint-Estèphe, France. Despite its estimation as a producer of high quality wine, it was neither ranked in the
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 (not existing at the time), nor is it listed among
Médoc
The Médoc (; oc, label= Gascon, Medòc ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the ''département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''(Pagus) Medull ...
's ''
Cru Bourgeois
The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the châteaux from the Médoc that were not included in the 1855 Classification of ''Crus Classés'', or Classed Growths. Notionally, ''Cru Bourgeois'' is a level below ''Cru Classé'', but still of ...
'', due to a decision of its owner Jean Gautreau not to enter it for such classification.
The winery also produces a
second wine
Second wine or second label ( French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from '' cuvee'' not selected for use in the ''Grand vin'' or first label. In some cases a third wine or e ...
named La Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet.
History
Situated on what was in 1633 the residence of a Basque nobleman named Sièvre Sociando, the first documentation of the estate mentions its ''nobles terres''.
[ After its acquisition around 1850 by Madame Mallet, it was recorded in the 1883 edition of '']Cocks & Féret
''Cocks & Féret'' or simply ''Féret'', is the colloquial name of a Bordeaux wine directory originally created by Charles Cocks and Michel-Édouard Féret in 1846, which was published under the name ''Bordeaux, its Wines and the Claret Country'' ...
'' along with Château Verdignan as the leading ''cru'' of Saint-Seurin.[
Sociando-Mallet was a forgotten and derelict property of vastly reduced land by the time it was bought by Jean Gautreau, a ''négociant'' from Lesparre, in 1969.][ The estate has since seen considerable expansion and modernisation, and enjoys high prices and a good reputation in today's wine market.][
]
Production
The vineyard extends to 50 hectares, with the grape varieties of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
, 40% Merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
and 5% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
. An average of 20,000 cases of the ''Grand vin'' are produced per year.
References
External links
Château Sociando-Mallet official site
Tasting notes on Sociando-Mallet: a selection from 2014 to 1998
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sociando-Mallet, Chateau
Bordeaux wine producers