External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 32 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by vinum bonum on 9/27/2020 & rated 91 points: Le nez s'ouvre sur des notes fumées typiques de Pessac, avec l'aération un fin menthol vient donner du peps à une très belle aromatique. La bouche suit, assez jeune pour son âge avec un profil pas encore tertiaire, mais un bon bordeaux à maturité. Un léger creux en milieu de bouche et un relatif manque de longueur rappellent les limites du millésime. 91+ (2024 views) | | | Tasted by JChan on 10/22/2015 & rated 92 points: Drinking from a magnum at a fullmoon night of my bb. Very good nose, aromatic and elegant, black currant and berries dominate. Medium to full bodied. Long finish. A very good quality wine under such vintage. (5981 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 8/8/2014 & rated 92 points: medium to fullbodied, better tannin structure than the 2001, developed tannins, I would drink it now, still fine fruit cassis, black currant (7191 views) | | | Tasted by Tonydufour on 6/7/2014 & rated 93 points: A little passed its prime and the nose is not overpowering. However, there is a high level of complexity on the nose: cedar, raspberry, strawberry and truffles.
Typical body for a bordeaux of that age: tawny color.
It has a very long finish and the strawberry flavors are dominating after the first sip. Other fruit flavor like raspberry and blackberry are more subtle. All the wood and cedar aromas have disappeared.
A wine that went exponential with the food (steak, frites) and cheese after dinner.
No need to decant more than 30 min. There was low to moderate deposit in the bottle. (7477 views) | | | Tasted by GEDC on 5/25/2012 & rated 91 points: From a Mag, nice leather, tobacco, and earth. At the end a hint of bitterness. Wine is still excellent but past it's prime. Drink now!! (9638 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 6/20/2011 & rated 91 points: Double decanted 1hr. With roast Sirloin & all the trimmings. Fathers day treat - and a very nice treat it was! Really beautiful nose of earth & leather leading on to a nice, full, round palate. Fairly sweet with lots of secondary complexity, then a dry, long finish with some gentle tannins remaining. Lovely bottle. (9414 views) | | | Tasted by John Nezlek on 6/4/2011 & rated 89 points: Last bottle of a long evening. Served with lamb shank and limas -- good match. Good fruit, balance etc. Glad to have them.
Seemed to be drinking well in terms of aging. Previous bottle was a bit over the hill. Could have been bottle variation. (5916 views) | | | Tasted by StainedGlass on 3/25/2011 & rated 90 points: Dense almost black purple. Lots of body and barnyard earthiness with dral blackberry and plum, smoke, tar, and gravel. Quite interesting and drinking well now. (5166 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 11/14/2010 & rated 90 points: With parmesan & chorizo. Double decanted. Nice brambly nose with light but rounf mouthfeel. Good Graves typicity. Medium length. Expected to be in decline, but holding together nicely. (5289 views) | | | Tasted by John Nezlek on 11/7/2010 & rated 88 points: Seems to have lost a bit over the past two years (can't believe I waited two years to have the next one). Still a very good bottle of wine, although the fruit and the complexity are fading (or have faded). I will be drinking my last one soon. (3948 views) | | | Tasted by PhilJ on 5/15/2010 & rated 90 points: Much better showing from this bottle. Expressive aromas and a nice cedary taste. Can't see these getting better, so enjoy them now whilst they're in the zone. (4131 views) | | | Tasted by Felixthecat on 5/9/2010 & rated 88 points: Earthy aroma but a sweetness of flower made this wine simple but complex enough to rethink your next taste. balance was great, finnish was great, all together a very nice wine at it's peak.Enjoed it very much. (4285 views) | | | Tasted by Felixthecat on 5/9/2010: see personal taste. (4284 views) | | | Tasted by eurorrocket on 3/14/2010 & rated 86 points: Last bottle. (4712 views) | | | Tasted by PhilJ on 2/6/2010 & rated 89 points: Not very expressive on either nose or palate, maybe needed a decant to open it up. Even so, it was an enjoyable wine, but I expected more for the pedigree. (4287 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 2/4/2010 & rated 90 points: In line with previous notes, that nose is lovely! (4428 views) | | | Tasted by hoob on 1/25/2010 & rated 91 points: Extremely enjoyable, with a smashing Graves nose. (4640 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 7/10/2009 & rated 90 points: Decanted 2hrs. Cork in perfect condition.
With Spaghetti Bolognaise. Again, delicious. Lots of intensity here, no 'off vintage' characteristics. Really pungent nose of leather & licorice carrying through to the palate, which was slightly sweeter & more extracted than I remember from the last bottle. Still a few tannins holding everything together, overall a nice round mouthfeel. Delicious with the food & throughout the rest of the evening, with no significant improvement or deterioration over a 6hr drinking window. (4760 views) | | | Tasted by John Nezlek on 10/20/2008 & rated 91 points: See previous notes. A classic -- at less than a classic price. (4716 views) | | | Tasted by Niagara on 6/3/2008 & rated 89 points: Extravagant nose of red fruit, a little restrained at first on the palate but after an hour of decanting blossomed into a very smooth, classic Bordeaux with plenty of cedar and pencil lead. Medium bodied, a nice pairing with roasted beef and rosemary with frites. Though not a particularly memorable wine, an excellent value. (4935 views) | | | Tasted by sonakul_t on 2/22/2008 & rated 91 points: This wine was better than i thought. Medium red colour, good nose filled with cherries and earth. opened up a lot more after 1hr and became more opulent. Medium body with good fruits, licorice and coffee. About a 45second finish. (5034 views) | | | Tasted by John Nezlek on 12/28/2007 & rated 90 points: Simply a damned good Bordeaux. If you like Bordeaux, you will like this wine. Give it some time to open up. Nicely balanced. I wish that this was the standard. (5203 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 11/9/2007 & rated 91 points: Double decanted 2hrs.
Absolutely delicious as usual. Fully mature, reasonably weighty with lovely savoury graves flavours. Accompanied fillet steak with gratinated potatoes to perfection. (5310 views) | | | Tasted by dave747400 on 2/23/2007 & rated 91 points: Day 1: Opened & double decanted for 4hrs. Some brick red on the rim. Good nose, classic earthy notes. Medium body, integrated tannins with sufficient fruit - unusually raspberries spring to mind. Very lifted in the mouth, delicate almost. Drying finish, medium length but very appetising. A really delicious pessac drinking beautifully now.
Day 2: Expected some deterioration over 24hrs but no - all as before. No fruit bomb, but very elegant. (5500 views) | | | Tasted by Dixie_F on 6/24/2006 flawed bottle: TCA - wet cardboard - ACK! my first expericence with this. Had to brush teeth twice to get the flavor out. (5889 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Smith Haut Lafitte Producer website – Read more about Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
Producers > Château Smith Haut Lafitte See map
Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region.
For many years it was owned by the Bordeaux négociant Eschenauer - in 1990 it was bought by former Olympic skiing champion, Daniel Cathiard. He cut down on the amount of chemicals and herbicides used in the vineyards, and fully modernised the winemaking facilities. The proportion of new oak barrels used in the maturation process was increased and a trio of eminent oenologists (including the ubiquitous Michel Rolland) were hired as consultants.
The 55 hectares of vineyards are located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly. The red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barrels (50% new) for 15-18 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
BACKGROUND: The noble Bosq family started growing grapes as early as 1365. The property was purchased in the 18th century by Scotsman George Smith, who gave the estate its present name. He also built the manor house and exported his – by now famous – wine to England on his own ships. In 1842, Mr. Duffour-Dubergier, Mayor of Bordeaux and an enthusiastic winegrower, inherited Château Smith Haut Lafitte from his mother and brought the wine up to great growth status. Impressed by Smith Haut Lafitte's excellent quality, the Louis Eschenauer company distributed the wine all over the world starting in the early 20th century, deciding to buy the estate in 1958. After the Eschenaueur period came to an end, a great deal of money has been invested in the estate, particularly on the construction of a superb underground cellar holding over 1,000 barrels. In 1990, Daniel Cathiard fell in love with the property and joined the list of prestigious owners, firmly intending to further enhance Smith Haut Lafitte's tradition of excellence. He combined the most modern winemaking techniques and age-old methods: organic compost, small wooden vats, ageing on the lees in barrel, etc. Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanGraves Vins de Graves (Conseil des Vins de Graves) - Read more about Pessac Leogan Graves and its winesPessac-Léognan Pessac-Leognan reds:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Soil: Predominantly gravel and sandy rock, with varying proportions of clay and sandstone
Surface Area: 1,491 ha
Pessac-Leognan whites:
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Soil: Gravel and rocks covered with sand, sandstone, and clay
Surface Area: 275 ha |
|
