Château Sociando-Mallet 2025

Château Sociando-Mallet is a Haut-Médoc red from the estate of the same name in Bordeaux, a property whose wines are a benchmark for the classic Médoc style. It blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the traditional left-bank grapes. The vineyard sits on deep gravel mounds near the Gironde estuary, free-draining soils that store the day's heat and reflect it back to the ripening Cabernet, while the nearby water moderates temperature and reduces frost risk. The estate farms with respect for the land. After fermentation the wine ages eighteen months in 225-litre French oak barrels, whose tight grain and slow oxygen exchange build structure, refine the firm Cabernet tannins and add cedar, tobacco and gentle spice. The 2025 is deep red. The nose shows dark fruits such as blackberry and redcurrant alongside tobacco, cocoa, cinnamon and a cedary oak frame, and the palate is medium to full bodied, structured and savoury, with fine, firm tannins and a long, earthy finish that will reward a few years in bottle. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted for an hour. It suits roast lamb and beef.