Still sporting the $12.99 sticker that this was many years ago. Just under top of shoulder fill. Cork was fantastic.
A few of the other early ‘80s wines I’ve opened from this same acquisition needed time to open up and blow off funk, but this was ready from the get go. At its age (and provenance), the wine is translucent ruby with bricking at the rim and shows classic Pauillac notes (graphite, leather, cassis) with tart red fruits, herbs and some pipe tobacco. Still retaining acidity and a decent amount of tannin at the finish. A unique high-toned/mint note came around aromatically ever so often and would fade.
Followed out of bottle during the evening and it stayed consistent. — 22 days ago
Medium deep ruby, medium wide garnet rim . A bid rounder and more genourously fruited than the Cantemerle , ripe blackberry , blackcurrant , but some sea spray , oyster shell notes too . Tobacco hints also. On the palate this shows a bit more rounded generous fruit and some grippy , slightly rustic, tannins (more than the Cantemerle) good fresh acidity still . More fruit at first , and a little more glycerine on the palate . Good tobacco , blackcurrant and grafite finish , slightly saline , oyster shell notes also . Good length. This is showing better than the Cantemerle , and a little more generous in terms of fruit and ripeness . Good now but will now doubt age well further over the next 10-15 years . For Sociando Mallet this is a good , really quite accomplished wine. — 9 days ago
No formal notes . Medium deep ruby . This seems a bit more advanced . This is a bit harder and more structured on the palate , more tannin , less velvety and a bit more astringent . More spicy , drier on the palate . This needed more time to open . This was quite difficult to judge , I wasn’t 100% convinced about this bottle as it just seemed a little oxidative, however it did actually seemed to come together better after an hour or so , but still quite hard and astringent in comparison to the others (especially La Mission) . Showed a touch more mineral and grafite on the finish too after a while. This needed time , and I would imagine another bottle might tell a different story . — 16 days ago
Drinking very well. — 14 days ago
Medium deep ruby , medium wide garnet rim . Quite dense blackberry, blackcurrant , grafite and earthy tobacco , a little greenness perhaps , quite strict with some spicy notes also . On the palate this has good structure and balanced acidity , earthy blackcurrant , tobacco , grafite hints . Quite classic but with enough density of fruit to cover the structure . Grippy tannins , with a cool blackcurrant , tobacco edged finish of medium length . This is drinking ok now but can go for a while still , 10 years perhaps . — 9 days ago
The difference 40 years makes is maybe just a thin wooly blanket.
Pull it back and this thing's full of life - bright, vibrant, gas in the tank.
It’s brighter yellow than tired gold. Theres more fruit than decay. Sour apricots and yellow canned peaches, white popcorn and greasy bacon, and that foggy musk.
Acid rips through and does not give. Barely sweet with the demi-sec tag thats written right there but I'm not buying it.
Tonight this is 40 years old, just gettin' goin, just like me. — 7 days ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2015 vintage. Light-medium body (unusual for Pauillac of this age). Raspberry, tobacco and silt in the finishing flavors. Tasted twice previously in the last few years with consistent notes. — 20 days ago