The story of Sociando-Mallet
Jean Gautreau, an essential figure
The story ofSociando CastleIt all began in 1663 when a member of the Basque nobility, Sieur Sociando, settled in Saint-Saurin-de-Cadourne. It was during this period that winemaking began. In 1793, the vineyard became public property. It was then purchased by Jean Lamothe, whose daughter married a man from the Mallet family. Thus, in 1831, the Château was officially named Sociando-Mallet. Jean Gautreau, after his military service in Morocco, settled in Bordeaux in 1948 to work as a wine merchant for Miailhe. He quickly diversified his skills, becoming an independent broker in 1950. While developing prospecting activities for foreign investors, he fell under the spell of the property ofSociando-MalletIntended for a Belgian investor, Jean Gautreau acquired the overgrown estate which at the time comprised 5 hectares of vines.
With great patience and passion, he expanded the vineyard and modernized all the infrastructure. He sold his wine trading business in 2000 and devoted himself to winemaking. The quality of his wine quickly gained recognition, and he became a leading figure in his appellation.Sylvie Gautreau,Jean's daughter takes over the reins. Today she ensures the continuity of the estate, while introducing her young son Alexandre to the work of the vineyard.
The terroir of the Haut-Médoc
Vines that flow into the Gironde
It's about the nameHaut-Médocnorth of Pauillac, lies the estate ofChâteau Sociando-Mallet.Of the 120 hectares that comprise it,83are dedicated to vines. It is a gravelly terroir, with a clay-limestone subsoil and a temperate climate, that welcomes the region's flagship grape varieties. The vines, with an average age of 35 years, extend across the Baleyron ridge. The Cabernet Sauvignon (42%), Merlot (54%), and Cabernet Franc (4%) grape varieties benefit from the influence of the Gironde estuary. Located close to the estuary, it protects the vineyard from the vagaries of the weather. The vines are planted quite close together to create competition. This method ensures that each vine concentrates the aromas drawn from its terroir. The vineyard is experiencing avineyard plotsreasoned with atraditional maintenance.
- The fitting and removal of the shoes takes place once a year.
- The vines are pruned in the Médoc style.
- Manual shoot thinning is carried out in the spring.
Château Sociando-Mallet prides itself on letting the fruit express itself. In this way, no green harvesting is carried out.
Sociando-Mallet, a must-visit in the Haut-Médoc
A remarkable qualitative leap forward
THE83 hectaresThe grapes are harvested by hand by close-knit teams of winemakers. The grapes are transported in small crates to guarantee their quality. They are then placed on manual sorting tables. After destemming and crushing, the berries are put into temperature-controlled stainless steel or concrete vats for optimal fermentation.Vinification by plot.Pump-overs are carried out daily during fermentation, which can last up to 20 days. After maceration, the wines are placed in new oak barrels for 12 months. Topping up is performed during vinification to compensate for the absorption of liquid by the new wood. Racking is also carried out according to thetraditional methodsAfter these 12 months, the wines are placed in vats for 6 months to homogenize the production. After filtering, the wines are blended and bottled.Château Sociando-Malletoffers a first wine and two second wines, which share a common complexity. The Médoc region agrees that great efforts have been made by theGautreau familyin order to elevate their production to among the best. The estate's wines are today...essential.
