Chateau Sociando-Mallet (scuffed label) 2009

Professional Ratings

• 94 James Suckling
  Lots of currants, berries and chocolate on the nose and palate. Full and chewy. Solid tannin structure.
• 92 Wine Spectator
  Love the nose of currant and mineral, with hints of mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium finish. Tannic. Maybe too much. But I think it's going to come out excellent.
  Barrel Sample: 89-92 Points
• 90 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.