I wanted to do this two weeks ago but the SM 01 was corked, so we tried again last night with some friends, this time with no mishaps. I’ve already posted notes about these in the past, so I won’t bore you with too many details:
Sociando Mallet 2001
A nose of blackberry and pencil shavings with a hint of menthol. In the mouth, quite soft and developed, although still youthful, with cassis and plum, before a second wave of wild raspberry and a long, fresh finish with that trademark hint of green. Perhaps the finish was a little more open and sensual than the last bottle.
Cuvée Jean Gautreau - Sociando-Mallet 2001
Like the bottle two weeks ago, this had great aromas of violet, cassis and plum, but tasted alongside the normal bottle, the taste profile was very similar, with the same cassis and plum, followed by the same wild raspberry.
The two were very alike, both were absolutely delicious, but the JG just had more of everything - it was like listening to a favourite song through two sets of speakers. At first, there was simply no comparison - the JG had better concentration, better definition and a much bigger woofer than the normal wine. Our friends, fans of SM, had never tried the JG before and were bowled over.
But, as the evening progressed, the JG’s superiority was questioned - for all the JG’s greatness, the normal cuvée had something the JG didn’t have - more poise and a wider, softer finish. In the end, the score was a 2-2 draw, and to my surprise, I was actually one of the two who preferred the normal 2001, to which I was increasingly drawn back to. It doesn’t mean anything, this is not a criticism of the JG - they’re two fabulous wines. I think the JG just needs another five years to really open up in the way the normal wine did last night. But it does go to show that however well one thinks one has remembered the taste of two wines, until you actually try them together, it’s an imperfect comparison. Also, I think it brought home to me that label bias can afflict anyone - I was convinced I knew the result before the match.
Anyway, it was a great evening and fun to do - I’ve got plenty other vintages of both wines, so I shall renew the experience in the future.