Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Of all the Bordeaux Zoom tastings that I held this year with 67 Pall Mall wine club, the 1996 Pauillacs was probably the one that had the most success - just hit after hit of great wines. They included Pichon Baron, Comtesse, Latour, Lafite and Lynch Bages, but I am selecting instead the 'ringer' that I put into the tasting; an Haut-Médoc with a huge amount in common with Pauillac that is tasting delicious and perfect for drinking right now. Still full of brambled blackberry and cassis fruit, creamy in texture with a crushed mint finish and now fully integrated tannins. Perhaps the best one here for a Christmas evening with a book by the fire.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A classic Sociando-Mallet, this wine boasts a saturated purple color, as well as an intense nose of cassis liqueur, chocolate, and minerals. Dense and medium-bodied, with outstanding purity, and high tannin, this beautifully made wine is better than many classified growths. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.
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Wine Spectator
Dark-colored, with vanilla, spice and smoky fruit flavor. Medium-bodied, with firm tannins and a silky texture. A stylish wine, showing spicy character. Sociando did the business this year.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.