2008 Château Sociando-Mallet

The 2008 Sociando-Mallet has a ripe, candied bouquet of lavish black cherry and boysenberry fruit, lacking a little definition but still attractive in a slightly obvious way. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent red berry fruit and a little saline in style. The sappy, slightly smudged finish needs to muster more delineation and focus. This might improve in bottle, so don’t be afraid to wait another couple of years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.

Tasted blind. Lively dark ruby. Good meat and two veg development on the nose and life on the palate. Dry finish but lots of life here. (JR)

Very dark purplish crimson. Intense and quite minerally nose. Sweet start and rather overdone oak with some residual damson notes. Very dry finish. (JR)