Chateau Sociando Mallet 2009

JAMES SUCKLING: "Lots of currants, berries and chocolate on the nose and palate. Full and chewy. Solid tannin structure."

FALSTAFF: "Reife Zwetschkenfrucht, Feigen, opulentes Bukett, zarter Schokoanklang. Kraftvoll, rotbeerige Nuancen, frisch, präsente, noch etwas fordernde Tannine, monolithischer Stil, Weichseln im Abgang, gute Länge, mineralisches Finale."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur-Granat. Direktes Bouquet, Heidelbeeren und Cassis, frischen, aber reifen Cabernet (55 % in der Assemblage) anzeigend. Am Gaumen bei mittlerem Körper mit einer tollen blau- bis schwarzbeerigen Aromatik, feine Pfeffernote im Extrakt, tolle Länge. Ein Plaisir-Sociando, der mit etwas mehr Fett (von den Barriques) eventuell 18/20 Punkte erreichen kann."

DECANTER: "Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Fresh, notably youthful nose. Attractively luscious fruit on the palate although there are some rather rasping tannins and marked acidity. I wouldn’t take this for a 2009 blind. Pretty drying and demanding on the end at the moment."

THE 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."