2017 La Demoiselle de Sociando Mallet

France / Bordeaux / Medoc / Haut-Medoc Rouge

La Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet is the second label of Château Sociando-Mallet in Haut-Médoc owned by Sylvie & Jean Gautreau.
 
The Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet is produced from the younger vines of the property and the plots whose soil is more favourable to the production of very good Merlot. This grape variety represents minimum half of the final blend of this wine.
The vines for Demoiselle cover around 20 hectares and receive the same care and are tended in the same way as the rest of the vineyard throughout the year.
 
The "demoiselle" is a sort of dragonfly found in the Médoc. Like the dragonfly, this wine of the same name is light and elegant.
 
The ageing of Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet is carried out mainly in vats, to preserve the freshness and fruitiness of the Merlot. This easy-drinking wine can be enjoyed young.
 
Blend vintage 2017: 
64% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
Château Sociando-Mallet has throned on the Butte de Baleyron, one of the finest gravelly terroirs in the Médoc, since the 17th century. Situated in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, around 10 kilometres North of Pauillac, the vineyard overlooks the Gironde estuary on a bend in the river. 

Château Sociando-Mallet's terroir consists of Günz gravel over a deep layer of clay-limestone soil. This terroir perfectly regulates water supply and enables Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen extremely well and Merlot to acquire depth and complexity.
The terroir is Sociando's soul. It provides the wine with complex structure, freshness, and elegance.

A document dating back to 1633 refers to noble land belonging to a family of Basque origin called Sossiondo, of wich a member was bishop of Bayonne. Another document of 1750 mentions the vines of Demoiselle Anne of Sossiondo. 
Centuries later, this Demoiselle left her name to the Château Sociando-Mallet's second wine.
Over the years "Sossiondo" became "Sociando" due to spelling mistakes. 
In 1831, Marie-Elisabeth Alaret, owner of Sociando, married Achille Mallet, a naval captain. The newly-weds thus named the property Sociando-Mallet, following the custom of adding one's name to the domain. 
In 1969, Jean Gautreau, current owner born in Lasparre-Médoc, took over the property. He began his career as wine broker and he set up his own wine broker company in 1957. 
When he discovered Château Sociando-Mallet he fell in love with the property that was in very bad state but boasted a breathtaking view over the Gironde estuary. At that time, there were only five hectares of vines, the buildings were in need of repair and there was no cellar. 
Since the beginning, Jean Gautreau never stopped looking for best quality of its wines, which already enjoy an excellent reputation.