Château Sociando-Mallet, Ch. Sociando-Mallet 1990

92 / 100 Robert Parker
Once again this estate revealed its excellent quality/price ratio. As one taster so appropriately stated after learning the identity of both the 1989 and 1990 Sociando-Mallets, "I'd rather have the '89 or '90 Sociando-Mallet than the '89 Margaux or '90 Mouton in my cellar." Both wines showed surprisingly well, performing at second or third-growth levels. The 1990 appears to be the finest Sociando-Mallet since the sensational 1982. The wine possesses an opaque purple color, and a tight but promising nose of thick, cassis, blackcurrant fruit, subtle roasted herbs, smoke, licorice, and minerals. Powerful, super-concentrated, and backward, with layers of flavor and high tannin, this striking wine should evolve for 2-3 decades.
Wine Advocate #109 Feb 1997

96 / 100 Wine Spectator
Amazing wine for the vintage. Black-ruby color. Stupendous aromas of crushed berries, currants, cherries and minerals. Full-bodied, with superconcentration of fruit and wonderfully polished tannins. Goes on and on.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2005. 18,500 cases made.
http://www.winespectator.com/wine/detail/source/search/not..

17 / 20 Jancis Robinson
Harvest date 13 Sep-2 Oct; yield 76.8 hl/ha; vineyard area 50.1 ha Deep crimson with more brilliance than the 1989. Firm, meaty and vibrant on the nose. Very luscious and hedonistic with more acidity than the 1989. This gives the impression of being far from its final flowering in the bottle. Dense and velvety with some of the property's freshness, it has a very long finish and is certainly flattering - though seems much more youthful than most 1990s. Clean and brisk on the finish. Just a few dusty tannins on the end. Thick! Long. Just lacks a bit of lift for me.
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/tastings/search?keywords=Soc..