I distinctly remember one thing when our first parcel of ’95 “Jean Gautreau” went live back in April—I had barely made it through breakfast before the final bottle was snatched up. Now we have more, fewer than last time, but more nonetheless. If you missed out, read on (quickly) to discover why Château Sociando-Mallet is a sleeping giant of Bordeaux—unless, of course, you’re a Left Bank-crazed sommelier, savvy wine critic, or decades-deep collector.

For those groups, this marvelous estate should be treated with the same deference as any classified château of 1855, and it’s all because of one man. The late, immensely great Jean Gautreau spent a half-century crafting hauntingly perfumed, terroir-infused Bordeaux that have surely tricked blind-tasting experts into calling it a luxury label a thousand times over. Few palates, however, have had the great fortune of tasting today’s transcendent 1995 bottling. This is the first vintage of Sociando-Mallet’s top-secret cuvée—a microscopic barrel selection that was never meant to leave the property. And for nearly 20 years, it didn’t. It wasn’t until 2013 when Jean Gautreau began releasing them in small waves, only because he was running out of space in his cellar! Thank goodness I didn’t taste this blind because a “Super Second” château, perhaps even a First Growth, would’ve all been possible answers. 

One of the absolute truths in Robert Parker’s lifetime was that Sociando was among the greatest over-achievers of Bordeaux. He was a disciple through and through, unafraid of comparing it to First Growths, or making blanket statements like: “Regardless of vintage conditions, Jean Gautreau does everything right.” So why was this great property, which is perfectly situated in gravelly clay just a mile north of Saint-Estèphe, not included in the famous 1855 classification? Because, despite documents tracing this property back to the 1600s, it didn’t explode into prominence until the latter quarter of the 20th century. This is when an ambitious, 42-year-old Jean Gautreau purchased the decrepit five-hectare estate.

In the following decades, he became known for crafting incredible Bordeaux with classy aromas, robust textures, and superb cellar appeal. And then, in 1995, a special namesake cuvée—initially meant for private consumption—was created on his behalf. Here’s an explanation of the wine directly from the estate: “The cellarmaster of Sociando-Mallet had the idea of selecting fifteen barrels from among sixty to make a blend called ‘Jean Gautreau.’ The choice of barrels occurred during a blind tasting after one year of aging. The cellarmaster, the oenologist, Sylvie Gautreau, and Jean Gautreau evaluated wine from each barrel. The fifteen highest-scoring barrels are blended and put into special bottles. The eponymous wine has a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than Sociando-Mallet. While somewhat austere in its youth, it reaches its full potential with extended aging in the bottle.” 

At 27 years of age, it’s accurate to say this has completed its “extended aging in bottle” and is in the prime of its “full potential.” What a glorious blue-chip Bordeaux this is. We used a regular wine key to extract our cork, and it came out smoothly (it should be noted that we found the cork to be a tad loose but it had zero negative impact on the wine). Once pouring into Bordeaux stems around 60 degrees, this 1995 “Cuvée Jean Gautreau” revealed a masterclass in the subtle art of expression. It slowly releases soft, soil-inflected waves of blackcurrant, red cherry, and dried plum alongside breathtaking, earthy nuances of tobacco, green peppercorn, potting soil, baking spice, pencil lead, and sandalwood. The palate radiates vibrancy and class before revealing an extraordinary depth that’s buoyed by a pulverized core of gravelly savor. The finish sizzles for minutes. It’s a profound, mature Left Bank creation that’s showing no signs of stopping. That said, now’s the time to enjoy it—as long as you do it slowly.