CH SOCIANDO MALLET 2019

Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne sits just north of Saint-Estèphe on the Left Bank, and its position atop the Baleyron hill — with Günz gravel over deep clay-limestone subsoil — mirrors the terroir of Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe while running two to three degrees Celsius cooler than Margaux; it's a setup that rewards warm, dry years like 2019. Château Sociando-Mallet, unclassified by choice rather than quality, farms 85 hectares planted to roughly 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, with vines averaging 30 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested and hand-sorted, then fermented in temperature-controlled concrete and stainless steel vats before aging in oak barrels for approximately 12 months. The 2019 delivers red and black fruit, cedar, and freshly rolled tobacco on the nose, with a structured palate of cassis, black pepper, and a pencil-lead-tinged finish with firm, deep tannins.