2016 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Haut-Medoc 1.5L

2016 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Haut-Medoc 1.5L

2016 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Haut-Medoc 1.5L; France

In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.

Château Sociando-Mallet is a wine estate located in the northern Médoc (the wines are bottled under Haut-Médoc appellation), and generally regarded as the equal of many classed growths. Although not featured in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, the property was rated a fifth growth in wine trading site Liv-Ex’s unofficial 2011 version. It has the reputation of making full-bodied, classically structured wines with firm tannins and great aging potential from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.