La Demoiselle de Sociando Mallet 2018

"Jean Gautreau (1927–2019) acquired Sociando-Mallet in 1969 when the estate was around 5 hectares, and built it up to roughly 85 hectares by the time of his death — replanted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon (around 55%) and Merlot (40%) on the deep gravel terraces near the Gironde estuary. The estate sits in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, just north of Saint-Estèphe in the northern Médoc.

Roast lamb, entrecôte, mushroom-led pasta and aged hard cheeses; an accessible cellar-tier Haut-Médoc from a serious estate.