Two 75cl bottles of Château Sociando-Mallet, 1996 and 2000, in excellent condition, with immaculate labels and capsules. Bottled at the château. Shipping via UPS. About the estate: Château Sociando-Mallet takes its name from its 17th-century owner, Monsieur Sociando, a name later augmented by Madame Mallet, who acquired the estate in the 19th century. It changed hands several times until its fortunate purchase by Jean Gautreau in 1969. The property was in a state of disrepair, and apart from its proximity to the Gironde estuary, little suggested the estate's potential. Since then, Château Sociando-Mallet has consistently demonstrated, with each new vintage, its place among the finest Médoc wines, although it is not currently classified. About the estate: After having long seen his wine ranked among the elite Crus Bourgeois of the Médoc, the owner refused, in 2003, to have it included in the classification review, believing, probably rightly so, that it deserved the rank of Cru Classé. An exceptional gravelly terroir – as evidenced by the name of the original vineyard site, "Terres Nobles" (Noble Lands) – rigorous hand-harvesting and sorting, long maceration in new oak barrels… everything seems to indicate that we are dealing with a great wine, and the tasting confirms it! Read the blog post about Château Sociando-Mallet About the cuvée: Sociando-Mallet wines are dressed in a remarkably dark, almost inky color, hinting at the incredible concentration they possess. The vines, averaging around thirty years old, stretch across 85 hectares of soil composed of Günzian gravel and a clay-limestone subsoil. This climate nourishes robust wines in their youth, which refine and become magnificently rich and supple with age. The powerful aromas of red fruit, particularly raspberry, are then adorned with subtle hints of toast. The château is especially renowned for the subtle oak notes perfectly integrated into the structure of its wines. To achieve this distinctive character, the wines undergo 12 months of meticulously controlled aging in barrels. Don't hesitate to cellar this wine for twenty years to discover its truly profound depth. A duck pot-au-feu or kidneys flambéed with cognac would then be the perfect complement to the most exquisite pleasure...