Ch�teau Sociando-Mallet Ch�teau Sociando-Mallet

This is 40! An exploration of 1986 wines; 1/21/2026-1/29/2026 (San Francisco) : I definitely got lucky with these bottles, because they were in good shape and didn't feel past their primes at all. Still a good amount of fruit, with blackberry, dried flowers, dried cherry, cigar box notes. Acidity still balanced and this wine still had some tannins! Feels like it can go on for a bit, but unlikely to get better. 92 points.

1986 vintage

I had bought this (well-stored) bottle on a whim and after reading the TNs on here was afraid that it might be corked and/or over the hill. But far from it � this bottle shone, with a beautiful nose of red fruit (cherries, blackberries), woody notes, a little forest floor. Very balanced and smooth on the palate, with medium acidity and almost non-existent tannins. Rather short finish. The bottle remained stable and was showing similarly on day two. This was …

1986 vintage

The last of my stock of these. I anticipated needing to open a second bottle as CT report about a 50% failure rate. Better cork and level than the previous one. Nose immediately cleaner more interesting than the first. Complex, developed nose. I thought that this might not be much fun, but over and hour or two it actually sweetened up a little and went well with barbecued meat.

1986 vintage

Bought on release! Cork soaked to the end but level still only 2cm below cork. This bottle was farmyardy on first opening. Instead of freshening up, it turned sour and undrinkable within 15 mins.

1986 vintage

Third of three purchased on the secondary market a few years ago, with a very high shoulder fill and a cork that was tight and soaked only halfway up. Unbelievably concentrated and dark in color (I couldn�t distinguish this from the 2019 Lilian Ladouys I also had open when they were both held in a horizontal glass over a white piece of paper!) Healthy looking as this was in this respect, however, it was still a hard, tannic monster, and …

1986 vintage

Exploring Chateau Batailley (Burwood) : Rich ruby and brown color, darker than I would have expected for the age. Light barnyard and capsicum, blackberry, tobacco, liquorice, burnt or toasted something? On the palate it tastes corked to me, bitter, wet newspaper. Some red fruits. Hard to taste through. My mentor noted this is much more likely to be cellar stink but agrees it's not in good shape.

1986 vintage

Coravin fun - Chateau Batailley/Cellatracker in the flesh with ninetails (My place, Burwood) : From Coravin. Damp cellar stink, fruit tea, a little rhubarb, meaty and savoury underpin, perhaps a touch of cork taint as well, time will tell. Juicy, with plenty of chalky tannins, meaty, savoury red hued fruits, a little earth, less cellar stink on the palate, touch of red fruit cordial tangy, interesting...oh, that cork taint wasn't cork taint, just a bit of grubbiness.

1986 vintage

Soaked and bad cork. Far too old. A bad bottle.

1986 vintage

First Wednesday Wine Club (Bella Puglia, Five Dock) : "Served blind. Brambles, earth, forest floor, leafy notes, a little cellar stink slowly morphs into cork taint. Juicy, wetly dilute, brambly dark fruits, talc textured persistent tannins but the spectre of cork taint makes this undrinkable. FLAW I knew this was mine"

1986 vintage

Ian A's Sociando Mallet Vertical (Noiz�, London) : 5/10 TCA.

1986 vintage

Ian A�s Sociando Mallet @Noiz� (Noiz�, London) : Corked

1986 vintage

Mine so no guesses. Others' guesses in the 90s. Light barnyard, black currant and plum fruit, a little green pepper. Mature and fun B+/B

1986 vintage

Still some hearty tannin, cassis fruit, some cedar and a hint of bell pepper. B/B+

1986 vintage

in a great spot but still a long way to go. perfect provenance for this bottle. still tons of fruit, medium acidity and baby tannins. had i tasted blind Id think max 10 yr old bordeaux. needs at least 30 min of air but absolutely singing now. easily will go another 20 yrs if not more!

1986 vintage

Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN) : Small taste. Seemed stewy to me.

1986 vintage

Second of three 750s purchased together on the secondary, this one with a top shoulder fill and the cork soaked all the way up. This bottle was nowhere near as youthful as my first bottle from March 2022, which was unbelievably concentrated and young. This bottle was decanted for an hour, pouring deep ruby with just a touch of garnet at the rim. Initially, there was heavy cellar stink and decaying undergrowth on the nose, but the wine was fairly …

1986 vintage

This was good, but it was also drying and getting long in the tooth for me. It hasn't gone all tertiary yet, but the primary fruits have dried out a good bit and the tertiary flavors have taken over. I'm not rating this as this is just a wine in decline

1986 vintage

I just reloaded on this but hadn't tried a bottle in a few years so thought I would pull one from the cellar to check in on whether my new purchase was wise or impulsive. Top shoulder fill with an intact but 90% saturated cork. Slightly musty aromas upon opening had we worried about TCA, but the wine is clean. Medium-dark purple color with little bricking. I coravined a glass each on nights one and two and then finished it …

1986 vintage

Some of that �86 burliness, cassis and smoked meats, cigarbox/cedar. Loads of life left. B+

1986 vintage

three bottles, my last and all seen much better days - not rated

1986 vintage

Lots of secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors. Fruit is still good, but this definitely shows its age, albeit in a quite elegant way. Couldn't believe it when I saw the $16.99 price tag on the bottle. Try doing that today!

1986 vintage

Cassis, cigarbox, mushrooms. Sturdy but approachable. B+

1986 vintage

Still big and bold like most Sociando�s I have had over the years - this wine could go several more years as a nicely balanced Bordeaux !

1986 vintage

soft and elegant, everything perfectly resolved, light cherry, earth, leather. Nicely aged Bordeaux.

1986 vintage

Amazing color and intensity. No bricking despite being over 35! Cork was soaked through but no seepage and fill top shoulder. Needed an hour air to open up. Had a strong ferrous note along with mint, tobacco and teriary fruit notes on the nose. Pretty solid. Palate was rather linear and sharp with firm tannins and repeating fruit notes. Goes into a rather clipped finish. Seems like it needs more time? Seriously.The nose is the there but pretty firm unyielding …

1986 vintage

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