A manuscript from the Seigneurie du Breuil tells us, in a title dated 17 March 1633, that a Sieur Sociando owned “noble lands” in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. Hence the origin of Château Sociando, which was to take its definitive name of Château Sociando-Mallet in the mid-nineteenth century, thanks to the will of Mrs Widow Mallet, who bought it around 1850. It was at Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, in his property at Sociando, that the great Bordeaux lawyer Guillaume Brochon was arrested in 1793 during the French Revolution. He was a former Jurat de la Ville, and a street in Bordeaux bears his name. Since Jean Gautreau took over the management of this estate in 1969, he has worked hard to restore its original character, which was recognised by the Syndicat des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc at its 1978 awards ceremony when it designated it a Cru Grand Bourgeois. The vineyard was reconstituted. It now stretches over gravelly hilltops on a clay base, bordering the river. It is this harmonious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that has made the prestigious Médoc wines so famous. Château Sociando-Mallet produces full-bodied wines with a deep, dark colour and a very special bouquet, including a delicate raspberry flavour. Often a little virile when young, these wines become remarkable with age, the very type of Haut-Médoc ‘à l’ancienne’, i.e. wines that can be laid down for a long time. In addition to the terroir, these specific qualities are the result of a “long” vatting period and a strict selection process: only vines that are at least ten years old are allowed to bear the name “Château Sociando-Mallet”, because it’s the old vines that make the great wine. Particular care is taken with the ageing of the harvest, which is traditionally matured in merrain oak barrels until bottling, all of which takes place at the château. The wines of Château Sociando-Mallet have achieved the renown of a good Cru Classé. In October 2019, Jean Gautreau passed away, handing over the reins to Sylvie, who has been managing the estate since 2015. Sylvie, born in 1967, is the only daughter of Jean and Colette Gautreau.
Sociando-Mallet was her childhood garden. She practises close-to-nature viticulture, similar to her father’s philosophy, and takes part in the various technical tastings and blends with her team. She breathes Sociando-Mallet with an earthy instinct. She is Sociando-Mallet. Sylvie never forgets to instil this in her son, Arthur.
