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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 247 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by AudunG on 12/16/2023 & rated 88 points: Brick color. Cherry like aromas with pronounced oak. Firm and conentrated on the palate, with a rather bitter and woody finish. (871 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 8/8/2023 & rated 92 points: 1995s & Friends (67 Pall Mall, London): A lovely surprise! This was similar to a cellar defender and came in to substitute the flawed St Henri Shiraz and was paired with a lovely 1998 Ornellaia ( Papies 94) . The priced looked too good on 67PM list so we rolled the dice and got double 6s.
Granted our experience with left bank 1998s is limited still the memory of the Lady at Lynch Bages a good decade ago arguing that the harshness of the cab is on the way down in 1998s resurfaced.
Very earthy, well evolved, very classic and devout of the modernity shenanigans that SHL is so much doing for the last decade with their wines ( in all fairness along with so many others who solve for Parker 100) . Randomly beautiful, well evolved, forest floor, earth, light spice and albeit probably past its peak a beautiful 92 maybe even more given the price and vintage. (1938 views) | | | Tasted by DanielAVTL on 6/16/2023 & rated 92 points: * popped and poured 60 minutes before serving, paired well with red-wine-braised short ribs and risotto.
Color, very dark and solid core, inky purple rim, no bricking or sign of age. On the nose, stunning aromas of dark cherry, plum, leather, anise, tar and smoke. Very seductive.
On the palate - fully mature, silky soft tannins, opulent and round with a medium to full body. Structure here is just solid enough to hold the wine together.
Overall, a very classic Pessac, with very good complexity, depth and balance. Not brilliant, but very good. 92 points on the night, drink up now. (1616 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 4/30/2023 & rated 93 points: Glorious tertiary Bordeaux aromas with forest floor, dark fruit, some brett. The tannins are a bit rustic, the cooler vintage showing. Aroma 95, palate 91. (2332 views) | | | Tasted by peanutbutterskittles on 1/6/2023 & rated 94 points: Still has some power. Leather, graphite; and has a bit more body and fruit than the 1998 Lynch Bages we had along side this. Really a wonderful wine at the end of its drinking window. (2393 views) | | | Tasted by Hawkeye_Addict on 3/25/2022 & rated 93 points: Oak monster at first. With two hour decant it starts showing what it has. This has so much life ahead of it. The 2019 drinking window is way off. This will be fine for another decade.
I don’t know if I didn’t wait long enough or what, but it never really moved beyond oak city. The tannins smoothed out and I got the slightest hint of fruit, but even after two hours was still 90% cigar box. Wish I had another bottle to hold for another 5 years to see what it would be like. (3397 views) | | | Tasted by dougogden on 3/5/2022 & rated 98 points: Smooth, well integrated flavors, at four hours of decant really came into its own—extraordinarily delicious. Sometimes heaven comes in a bottle. (2777 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 1/30/2022 & rated 95 points: This is just an incredible bottle from this Chateau... that tells me that they have the capacity to deliver... fruit, minerality... not over-dry, complexity, nuance... just a gorgeous bottle of wine! (2759 views) | | | Tasted by PB wino on 1/26/2022 & rated 94 points: Perfect cork. Fully mature, tannins fine and integrated. Delicious secondary notes of leather and pencil lead.. some fruit still present. One hour decant and ready to go. (2619 views) | | | Tasted by DesMarteau on 1/15/2022 & rated 95 points: very young still....bought on release retail and cellar stored. deep purple...currant, cherry, spice...subtle fruit...dense still. think this can go many years... (2268 views) | | | Tasted by KaupCava on 1/6/2021 & rated 90 points: Yeah baby! (3475 views) | | | Tasted by dankgummy on 9/6/2020: Perfect cork tells me this was very well kept (cellaraiders). Even after 2-3 hours decanting, the wine is still very tannic and tight. I have a couple more bottles and won't open any other bottles for a couple more years.
FYI - wine was singing after 5 hours in the decanter (3540 views) | | | Tasted by vinhonotte on 7/4/2020 & rated 92 points: Fine Wines SG - Grand Cru Discovery Pack (Delivered to Home): Medium garnet, with a significant fade at edges. First nose impression of tobacco smoke and then charcuterie and roasted red bell peppers in olive oil. Some tobacco smokiness shows on the palate, then gives way to purple flowers and medium ripe red cherries, at the backdrop of soft tannins and fairly bright acids and minerals. A good length of florals, smoke, and graphite (3651 views) | | | Tasted by petenich on 6/18/2020 & rated 94 points: In just the right spot, so well balanced, why you age a wine. (3736 views) | | | Tasted by randtm on 6/13/2020 & rated 96 points: This was our "Anniversary Wine". Meaning, we bought a bunch of it when it was released and stored it away to have one bottle every year on our anniversary. 1998 was a tough year. Not a lot of good wines that year, but after a lot of research, I chose this wine. So we have sampled it many times over the years, and through the years of raising babies and such, when my wife wouldn't drink, we still have a few bottles of this. It has always been good, but we just opened a bottle and I was blown away. Every off note it has had over the years is now gone. It is now exceptional and really coming into its own. Surprised it took this long, but happy to still have a few bottles. It needs a little bit of time once opened to really open up and mellow some sourness upon first opening, but then it was excellent. I knew the moment I opened it and smelled the cork that something really special was about to come out of the bottle. It was like a bouquet of flowers, but that quickly dissipated, but the wine has now never been better, or anywhere near this good in previous years. (3497 views) | | | Tasted by Adventr.us on 5/23/2020 & rated 92 points: Yum. Provides at least partial justification for the considerable investment required to build a cellar. Bought these on release, way back when. I gave this about 2 hours in the decanter while I prepped and cooked dinner. Tannins are silky and present, but largely in the background. It still has more fruit than I'd expect. I only had a few sips before dinner, so not sure how it's doing on it's own - but it's a beautiful match with the sous-vide dry-aged strip steak I teed up after a very long hike. (Although that's a softball for sure - 80% of the wines in my cellar would do well with that one.) Glad I have a few more. If this bottle is any indication, it seems they'll be in a great spot for at least several more years. (2313 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 3/23/2020 & rated 93 points: Certainly not "old" in the glass! Solid fruit, building complexity... might continue to improve over five years for those who like aged wines. (2256 views) | | | Tasted by NickA on 3/18/2020 & rated 92 points: The blue capsule of this wine has been winking at me for a while now, and the fact it's a Wednesday and my social life has been cancelled seems a good enough reason to finally introduce it to the corkscrew.
Surprisingly mature - lots of funk on the nose and a leathery, gamey palate. Cool and gravelly and a hint of cassis on the finish. Doesn't puff out its chest or shout about itself, but lots of interest: the tertiary flavours are moreish, in the manner of a washed-rind cheese or well-hung grouse. (2200 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 3/10/2020 & rated 93 points: Consistent with my last bottle. In a great place right now - very classic Graves smokiness and gravelly savouriness with the ripe red and black fruit of the vintage, and the structure starting to integrate. Still some grainy tannin on the back end though it eases with a decant, but I have no qualms about opening these now. (2697 views) | | | Tasted by jnewman77 on 2/7/2020 flawed bottle: Corked... (2188 views) | | | Tasted by JCGuthrie on 2/2/2020 & rated 92 points: Decanted at home 45 minutes, then sat open in the restaurant for perhaps 2 hours. This was a bit of an enigma to me. Upon pouring I got a wonderful aged BDX nose, with similar, albeit more understated flavors on the palate. It then seemed to shut down a bit, only to recover 15 minutes later. Maybe just me. Regardless, a good wine, but not one I would race to re-purchase unless there was a great deal to be had. (2022 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 1/30/2020 & rated 92 points: Bring a Good Bottle at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Decanted for 45 minutes and open for an hour; drank a glass over an hour plus. Part of a flight of '00 Cantemerle and '01 Gazin. This was our clear favorite of the group. Nicely perfumed on the nose, leather, funk, horse saddle, violets, cassis and boysenberry. The palate is soft with fine grained integrating tannins, leather, funk, cassis, light graphite. The nose is the star, but the palate is still classic 20 year old Bordeaux. (2210 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 1/30/2020 & rated 88 points: Mixed Offerings at Kenwood (Kenwood Restaurant, Minneapolis): Boring and weak wine. Earth, water chestnuts, muted fruit and tobacco. This lacks concentration and is past peak. Consume immediately. (2118 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 10/19/2019 & rated 91 points: The second bottle of wine that we had at my cousins house. The nose is dark berry and cigar. The palate was dark berry, charred meat and tobacco which dominated the finish which was moderate to long. Drinking very well at 21 years of age with I believe many years ahead. (2477 views) | | | Tasted by redknife on 8/10/2019 & rated 94 points: Out to dinner in key west
Opened the bottle in the hotel before going to the restaurant but not decanted
The wine was nice but decanting would have improved it 1 or two more points
Wine is still loaded with dark fruit mouth coating
Drinking beautifully now (2364 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, A Century of Bordeaux: The Eights (May 2018) (5/18/2018)
(Smith Haut Lafitte Smith Haut Lafitte Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/11/2006)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2000, IWC Issue #90
(Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Leognan) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Leognan) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (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. 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 |
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