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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 1/26/2024 & rated 93 points: This was a super wine, the age have given it real depth and complexity and have turned it into a far more complete wine than white Bordeaux is early in its life. It is still quite fresh, though there is a little caramel on the palate but this is a background note rather than dominating the palate. Medium bodies, high acidity still. Long and complex. Drink now unless you like caramel. (232 views) | | | Tasted by JRavn on 6/9/2023 & rated 91 points: Past its peak, but still an interesting, almost oily wine. Like a sauternes but without the sweetness.. (516 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/13/2019 & rated 91 points: Fully mature, the wine has taken on a honeyed tone to the yellow and orange citrus fruits. The wine has weight and there is still some lift remaining. But there is no reason to age this any longer. (4694 views) | | | Tasted by Edclr on 4/13/2018 & rated 90 points: Don't know where this came from, but came across it at the back of my cellar. Popped and drunk with a few guys. . Surprisingly nice wine, despite its age. Still very oily, but good finish, not over the hill at all. no hint of oak. (3388 views) | | | Tasted by mlawren1 on 4/1/2018 & rated 91 points: Color has gotten deep golden. Honey and pears and a hint of Mellon gives way to a hint of petrol and acidity. (3257 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 1/25/2018 & rated 93 points: Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux Tasting of the 2015 Vintage, nose of citrus, minerals, spring flowers, and sage, same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, powerful fruit, needs four years to peak drinking window, mouth filling fruit, almost rich fruit, and a long finish. (3400 views) | | | Tasted by fielding49 on 10/22/2017: Added to database in error. (3457 views) | | | Tasted by dchain on 9/16/2017 & rated 91 points: Light gold. Very appealing. Fresh lemon, biscuit and pineapple and quince nose. Still fresh and just enough acidity to make it uplifting. Perfect drinking right now. Delicious. (2265 views) | | | Tasted by mlawren1 on 7/15/2017 & rated 92 points: Into amazing secondary flavors. Starts a bit nutty, then opens into biscuits and honey. (1658 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 12/31/2015 & rated 95 points: Spectacular white Bordeaux! Complex nose, viscous beeswaxy mouthfeel. Just beautiful. (2985 views) | | | Tasted by BuzzzzOff on 9/28/2015 & rated 91 points: Third sip of our Full Moon Bordeaux Blend BBQ. Life sucks 😎. Tough to follow Y and Chevalier Blanc, but stepped up! The gal who brought it to the party loves and knows Bordeaux reds. She never knew about Bordeaux white until she bought this one...even thought, perhaps, it was a "fake"...interesting!
Shocking to realise this is 95% Sauvignon Blanc / 5% Sauvignon Gris!!!
Aromas of lemon, pineapple and grapefruit. Oak from 12 months in the barrels is evident on the nose as well. Pleasant, relatively easy sip with an equally attractive finish.
Probably at or near the end of its sipping life.
We think it is one of the best QPR white Bordeaux. (3471 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 5/24/2015 & rated 91 points: Rich, full and round. (3347 views) | | | Tasted by danstrings on 1/17/2015 & rated 91 points: Wildly unique wine, darkening golden hue. Loads of exotic pineapple, spice, nutmeg, hazelnut. Wonderful with a simple butter sauteed cod with parsley. (3286 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 11/9/2014 & rated 92 points: Light golden yellow color; savory, aromatic, sauteed golden onion, quince nose; mature, tasty, oily textured, savory, delicate, sauteed onion, tart preserved lemon palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (428 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 11/9/2014 & rated 91 points: Generous nose (A-). Tasty palate. Simple. (B++). (3288 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 7/16/2014 & rated 95 points: Spectacular wine. Vibrant yet controlled. At its peak. Multiple layers of flavor. Complex, compelling. The real deal. (2685 views) | | | Tasted by NewFrenchClaret on 3/22/2013 & rated 92 points: 12.5% ABV. Lovely straw color. Aromas of custard and cut grass. Medium acidity.
I have relatively little experience with White Bordeaux to be able to comment on its complexity, but this was delicious and not showing any sign of decline, even from a vts bottle with a little seepage. (3926 views) | | | Tasted by locovino on 3/9/2013 & rated 90 points: Very nice Bordeaux Blanc which is aging well. Aging lemon yellow in the glass. Nose of yellow citrus with notes of green herbs and slight petrol. Nothing oxidative on this one. In the mouth medium bodied with balanced acidity and good lemon/citrus follow through. Could have asked for a bit more minerality but perhaps this will develop. Seems like it could go another ten years. (3625 views) | | | Tasted by GuruofAV on 2/17/2013 & rated 88 points: A little past its prime I think, but still very good (3523 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 7/15/2012 & rated 90 points: White Bordeaux and Red Graves Themed Euro Lunch (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): Light-medium golden yellow color; redolent, tart grapefruit, preserved lemon, citronella nose; delicate, citronella, tart lemon, honeyed, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (2008 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 7/15/2012 & rated 91 points: White & Red Graves Themed Euro Lunch (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Dark yellow color. Medium nose. Outstanding palate with grapefruit, pears and some spices. Long finish. (4175 views) | | | Tasted by danstrings on 7/15/2012 & rated 90 points: Honeyed golden color, wonderful exotic flavors and aromatics -- honey, spice, candied pineapple, gunsmoke and rain water. People longed for a touch more acidity, but a lovely wine nonetheless. (4100 views) | | | Tasted by alamoave on 5/29/2012 & rated 91 points: - Yellow gold color. (3135 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 5/5/2010 & rated 91 points: Dallas 2nd Wednesday Group - May 2010 (SteveW's house in North Dallas): WIML91-92
Yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of acacia, herbs du Provence and diesel. Flavors of yellow apple, yellow pear and minerals. Medium acidity and body. Drink or hold. (5281 views) | | | Tasted by danstrings on 4/10/2010 & rated 92 points: Momufuku inspired dinner JLee, and AC’s the night before. Wow, yes there is age and this is unique, BUT those who love it will LOVE it! Golden color, the essence of concentrated grapefruit oils, old fashioned postage stamp, caramel and tangerine. The antique-y thing is there, and mellowed citrus, and of course the cat’s pee. Gorgeous! Paired wonderfully with the Momufuku “Asian caprese” of peeled cherry tomatoes, silken tofu slivers and a sherry vinaigrette sauce. (4006 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. 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 |
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