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 93.1 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 97 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Styeah on 2/24/2024 & rated 90 points: Tropical, citrusy and pear. (335 views) | | | Tasted by VlgJeff on 12/9/2023 & rated 93 points: The Columbia Group - Two and a Half Years Later (Our Place): A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris. This bottle was decanted for 20 minutes then returned to the bottle and enjoyed over the next hour+. White fruit, citrus and white flowers on the nose. Lemon, grapefruit, green apple, pear, and minerality on the medium bodied palate along with fresh acidity that made it quite food friendly. Will probably hold for several years. (552 views) | | | Tasted by kanowsky on 8/13/2023 & rated 94 points: Smith Haut Lafitte crafts some of the finest white Bordeaux, and this vintage, in a so-called off year, continues that tradition. Lemony, stone, creamy - it gets better the longer it is open. (805 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 4/3/2023 & rated 95 points: Grassy and herbal notes mixed with yellow stone fruit, hints of exotic fruit, floral notes and minerality on the nose. Very complex, quite open. On the palate nicely balanced - quite rich, but also fresh and vibrant. Very detailed and persistent finish. Excellent. 94-96 (1174 views) | | | Tasted by Birks cellar on 12/22/2022 & rated 92 points: Speciel lugt, nogle vil kalde det kattetis. Smagte godt efter en tie på karaffel, åbnede sig virkelig op efter yderligere en time i glasset. Et særligt positivt glas man husker smagen af. (1129 views) | | | Tasted by Volleyball on 10/2/2022 & rated 96 points: Probably the wine of the night despite a SQN for main course.
Very strong nose which remarkable passion fruit aroma. Weightier than expected, long and complex. (1216 views) | | | Tasted by Mchiarot on 10/1/2022 & rated 95 points: spectacular! (1032 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 9/22/2022 & rated 94 points: Honeyed, waxy, very early butterscotch. Beautiful ripe peach nose - actually pretty serious. Well put-together palate, finishing well. Properly mature. 93-94 (1825 views) | | | Tasted by bacchus of knockholt on 5/28/2022 & rated 90 points: It's been six years since I lasted tasted this wine. Another blind tasting in which I didn't spot it. Yellow colour with pungent piss on a nettle and blackcurrant leaf aromas with lime cordial, apricot, mango and papiya. Lots of intensity, a wine that demands good food, hard work on its on. (984 views) | | | Tasted by Hanibal on 5/14/2022 & rated 93 points: Opulent, lots of papaya, exotic fruits but very dry at the same time. Enjoyed this allot. (1478 views) | | | Tasted by kfrench150 on 1/16/2022 & rated 97 points: Decanted for 30 mins to start. Drank over the next two hours. Fresh pasta golden in the decanter, and the same tone, but paler and more limpid in the glass. Creamy, lanolin nose, layered with meyer lemon, fresh mushroom, egg shell and fresh cut grass carried on a light breeze. Full bodied, huge fleshy yellow fruit extract, tingly acidity and high phenolics. Rich, fleshy yellow plum flavours, preserved lemon, egg cream, oyster shell and a touch of fresh herbs on the palate. Very round and mouth filling, with a long, lingering finish that is wonderfully fruity and decidedly crisp. Wow! This is really, really good wine! (1045 views) | | | Tasted by Wadham Cellar on 8/27/2021 & rated 91 points: 1st of 12. Wonderful salinity. Popped and poured. 88 out of the bottle, evolving into a much more integrated wine with air. No rush. Hold or decant. (1340 views) | | | Tasted by GEL Wines on 4/8/2021 & rated 92 points: Floral, citrus, mineral, saline. Delicious. (1620 views) | | | Tasted by CGM on 1/24/2021 & rated 96 points: Half bottle left over...4 hours from opening, it turned into such an amazing wine that was absolutely a beauty. Regret that many bottles have been consumed way short of decanting, glad still have a few. (1486 views) | | | Tasted by whitmanlholt on 12/30/2020 & rated 91 points: Popped and poured. This is a lighter yellow wine. On the nose, I get papaya, spring flowers, and lanolin. In the mouth, this is tangy and mid-weight, with some citrus notes. The finish continues the theme with some lime aspects lingering for 20-25 seconds. Overall, this is a distinctive wine that reflects its region. At the same time, I wasn’t overwhelmed with this wine today. I hope my remaining bottles show better later. 91 points. (1384 views) | | | Tasted by streethawk on 5/27/2020 & rated 95 points: Predominantly Sauvignon blanc with 5% each of Sauvignon gris and Sémillon. Nose of peach, grapefruit, lemon, grass open up into some tertiary aromas of vanilla, cream, and a hint of smoke. The palate shows tremendous acidity and some white flower notes on the finish. What an elegant, well-balanced wine. I only wish I had more. (2081 views) | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 4/6/2020 & rated 94 points: spectacular earth and tropical fruit with minerality and integrated enough for me
in a good spot (1778 views) | | | Tasted by kfrench150 on 1/2/2020 & rated 95 points: Light silvery yellow with greenish glints. Fairly grassy on the nose. Seems like a higher proportion of Sauvignon Blanc in this vintage. Grapefruit zest, limestone and slight lemon oil on the nose as well. Initial taste is crisp and squeaky clean. Yellow plum, yellow citrus, light fresh cut grass, and then it fills out and finishes on a creamier, riper yellow plum, fleshy note with a hint of lanolin. Builds from light, bright and fresh at the front to fuller, rounder and creamier at the back and then finally ends with tingly citric acidity on the finish. Quite a long finish actually. This is clearly high quality and quite complex as demonstrated by its stunning metamorphosis in your mouth. Very interesting and excellent wine! (1983 views) | | | Tasted by VoteferPedro on 8/10/2019 & rated 92 points: very fine elegant sauv blanc character kissed by oak
it was best after an hour of air but we were almost done with it by then
I think my last outing I was able to give it more time and I spent more time with it. tonight it was 92+ (2080 views) | | | Tasted by FrancoisD on 6/30/2019 & rated 95 points: Equilibre et finesse.
Aromes de Pamplemousse, cire d’abeille, miel
Bouche très longue et langoureuse
Exquis! (2082 views) | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 6/9/2019 & rated 92 points: tropical fruit integrated earth
delicious with and without food
can't ask for much more (1694 views) | | | Tasted by CellarBord on 2/28/2019: Crisp, medium body, light grapefruit, at a good stage of development. Great pairing with Halibut with cauliflower, fennel and cherry tomato confit. (1995 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 2/16/2019 & rated 93 points: Enjoyed with escargot and macadamia nut encrusted black grouper....large grapefruit front end from the Sauvignon Gris, overpowers the Semillon. But the creamy mouthfeel component from the Semillon feels awesome on the back end. A very well made, quality wine from the Cathiards. (2761 views) | | | Tasted by il_diavolo on 1/16/2019 & rated 91 points: Lovely straw colour. i found the oak slightly dominated the nose. The palate had less oak influence, with melon, pineapple and green apple. Very luscious and appealing, but I think at this price point it is a bit too soft. The 2015 version is significantly better in my view (1743 views) | | | Tasted by Hanibal on 12/24/2018 & rated 94 points: As soon as I poured the wine into the glass the smell of freshly cut grass and green tea invaded my nose. I say good at least the nose is there and it does not disappoint!
The color of the wine is very particular with a yellow color with silver rim. It is not crystalline because there is a small white hue very intriguing.
The nose after 20min shows smells of cut grass, green tea, lychee ginger and gooseberries.
On the palate the wine has a nice acidity with a lemony attack but that quickly turns into a taste of peaches, fennel, ginger, green tea and radish!
It's full and slightly viscous in the mouth and the finish is very long with a salty butter taste.
What a beautiful example of what Bordeaux can produce in a year that in principle was not good for the reds but this white has really benefited from this cold vintage. Based on 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillion and 5% Sauvignon Gris it is not surprising that this wine received 96pt from WS and ranked number 9 in 2016. I do not often dwell on ratings but in this case I think they were spot on.
This wine still has a lot of acidity and easily can last several years but it drinks wonderfully right now.
PS: I have a cold and it may be that I did not give this wine the max of what it can offer (2518 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Yohan Castaing
Decanter, Château Smith Haut Lafitte: 2008-2018 (6/8/2021)
(Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Sauvignon Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/26/2017)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Stimpfig
Decanter, Smith Haut Lafitte Masterclass (11/26/2016)
(Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc, Graves, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (2/10/2016)
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc Pessac-Léognan, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/13/2015)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2015 (10/1/2015)
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/10/2015)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/29/2015)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steven Spurrier
Decanter, Bordeaux 2013 results: Graves, Pessac-Leognan & other dry whites (10/4/2014)
(Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, May-14, IWC Issue #174 (5/1/2014)
(Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Leognan Blanc (Pre-Arrival)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, May 2014 (5/1/2014)
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/1/2014)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2013 Bordeaux: Walking the Tightrope (Apr 2014)
(Smith Haut Lafitte Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc Pessac Léognan Grand Cru Classé De Graves White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2014 (4/1/2014)
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and JamesSuckling.com and Winedoctor and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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 |
|
