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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 94 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by LT98 on 9/20/2023 & rated 94 points: Gorgeous pale yellow color. Drinking beautifully. Tasted blind in a group and many thought it was less that 8 years old. Classic dry white Bordeaux - grapefruit aromas fading to stone fruits, apples and pears (473 views) | | | Tasted by Musinus on 11/16/2022 & rated 94 points: Spectacularly beautiful golden color. Exudes highly mineral-inflected aromas that offer up scents of Meyer lemon, grapefruit rind, beeswax, and pineapple preserves. Pure, precise and unctuous nose. Palate is elegant with citrus rumblings, golden apple, and a hint of pine. Superb with delicate foods and irresistible on its own. Yummm… (1052 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 9/22/2022: Beeswax, lemon, slightly tropical touch. Creme brulee, mellow and complex. (1991 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/12/2022 & rated 93 points: DWS in La Boheme, (By RVe): Grasses, vanilla, flint stone, smoke and beautiful toast in the bouquet. Same on the palate, full bodied, beautiful and fresh citrus acidity. Very beautiful and luxurious wine. (1850 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 1/6/2022 & rated 96 points: From magnum. Beautiful gold. Stunning wine perfect now. Deep waxy clean vibrant fresh. (2062 views) | | | Tasted by S-C-S on 10/11/2021 & rated 94 points: Complex and young at the same time … at last, perfect. (1736 views) | | | Tasted by R2-D2 on 6/14/2021 & rated 92 points: French White and Rosês (Grapes & Grains, Temecula, CA): Tasted blind. The wine showed up late, palate fatigued so no real guess taken.
Toasted marshmallow. Lively acidity. Super lame note but the wine was very good, age was apparent, and I just wanted to drink. (1702 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 1/31/2021 & rated 91 points: Kleur: Licht strogeel. Aroma / bouquet: Prachtig aroma, kenmerkend voor de Sémillion-gedomineerde Pessac-Léognans. Subtiele frisheid in de vorm van limoen, maar vooral 'rijpere' tonen als overrijpe ananas, bloemen, boenwas, kaarsvet, vanille, zoethout en wat kaneel. Smaak / Afdronk: Prettige frisse zuurgraad, mondvullend en sappig. Loepzuiver. Ook in de mond indrukken van citrus, perzik, honing en boenwas / kaarsvet. Mooie harmonie en met een lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige en grootse Pessac-Léognan. Niet gecombineerd met voedsel, belegen witte wijnen zijn voor mijn zowel eten als drinken ;-). De Sémillons van Pessac-Léognan zijn - ten onrechte - ondergewaardeerd ten opzichte van de veel populairder Chardonnays, vermoedelijk omdat overal in de wereld Chardonnays worden gemaakt die kunnen concurreren met witte Bourgogne. Maar een Sémillon anders dan uit Pessac-Léognan heeft op mij nooit grootste indruk gemaakt. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100
Color: Light straw yellow Aroma / bouquet: Beautiful aroma, characteristic of the Sémillion-dominated Pessac-Léognans. Subtle freshness in the form of lime, but especially 'riper' notes such as overripe pineapple, flowers, wax, candle wax, vanilla, liquorice and some cinnamon. Taste / Finish: Pleasant fresh acidity, mouth-filling and juicy. Flawless. Also impressions in the mouth of citrus, peach, honey and wax / candle wax. Beautiful harmony and with a long finish. General / potential: Beautiful and grand Pessac-Léognan. Not combined with food, aged white wines are both food and drink for me ;-). The Sémillons of Pessac-Léognan are - wrongly - undervalued compared to the much more popular Chardonnays, presumably because Chardonnays are made all over the world and sometimes they can compete with white Burgundy. But a Sémillon other than from the classic area of Pessac-Léognan never made the biggest impression on me. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 16 + Overall / potential: 8 = 91/100 (1822 views) | | | Tasted by S-C-S on 10/28/2020 & rated 93 points: Decant for 1 hour (1699 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 6/3/2020: I wonder if this was a bad bottle - the wine was heavy and flat with little acidity - not rated (1724 views) | | | Tasted by beathy on 4/24/2020: First time drinking white Bordeaux.
I enjoyed it despite my aversion to Sauvignon Blanc.
Crisp and acidic, with pear and nectarine.
Well balanced
Was paired with sushi - maybe pair with Thai food or pizza next time.
Alex didn’t enjoy it much compared to Chardonnay (1676 views) | | | Tasted by S-C-S on 11/14/2019 & rated 93 points: Love it, drink now (1772 views) | | | Tasted by S-C-S on 10/21/2019 & rated 93 points: Perfect with scallops or lobster. (1570 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 9/16/2019 & rated 94 points: Was very good, firm clean layered and delicious (1798 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 6/28/2019 & rated 91 points: Rich and rewarding, could have done w more acidity (1666 views) | | | Tasted by Brian of Mull on 4/4/2019 & rated 93 points: This is surprisingly great when I expected just good. Tart lemon and apple. Hint of quince and sweetness. Great density of mouthfeel. Bought a case a decade ago and forgot about it. Drinking brilliantly. I think I will serve at my next dinner gathering . (1583 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 3/19/2019 & rated 92 points: lovely wine with a lovely balance of acidity and fruit and incredible length - at its peak? (1340 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 1/13/2019 & rated 90 points: Vinetasters: Pessac-Léognan (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Slightly reduced on the nose and a mild hint of gooseberry. Nice balance, but the oak seems to play a bit more of a role here, especially on the palate. Denser, more power, and a bit of waxiness here makes me think that there’s a touch more semillon. The finish’s slight astringency shows the oak more, but this is still overall fairly tasty. (2564 views) | | | Tasted by nwebstar on 10/24/2018 & rated 93 points: Wow!!! Super form here. Really glorious lively yellow colour. So so beautifully evolved and balanced. Perfectly aged. Pineapple flavours with some warm spices. Really special. (1790 views) | | | Tasted by Claret & CdP Gang on 1/13/2018 & rated 92 points: At the start a Riesling nose that blew off and developed a salty mineral backbone, lovely white (2517 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 12/20/2017 & rated 93 points: Just an awesome BDX white....unique nose and taste profile must be the innovative use of Sauvignon gris and semillon.....tart but smooth, green but yellow fruit.....emjoyed over a company dinner, great with lobster flatbread and ravioli. A very nice, clean acidic entry, loads of levels for a white. On its downside but good acidity remaining. Creamy and green/tart at the same time.....adventurous to me. (2801 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 11/23/2017 & rated 91 points: Magnum we took out to Thanksgiving dinner with friends at a locals spot. All had turkey and ham and this went with it beautifully. Deep gold in the glass, floral nose with an explosion of floral citrus, green apple and lemon on entry. Better when first open. A fine line of acidity remained throughout but the wine took on an overly oaky quality in its finish after it had been open for about an hour. Not quite as nice as the bottle we had at the Chateau back in September. Could be just an odd bottle or this vintage might be on its downside. I'm thinking the latter. (2824 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 9/3/2017 & rated 94 points: Wonderfully aromatic nose, darker yellow in the glass than the 2012. This has everything I like in a white. Great entry with good weight for a white, mouth coating creamy texture, butterscotch but not overly so, melon, citrus and a beautiful finish. A 12 yo white still going strong! Should have more years left, too. This is beautiful. (3098 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 8/17/2017 & rated 91 points: Kleur: Middel goudgeel Aroma / bouquet: Een vleugje citrus. Boenwas, kaarsvet en vanille. Licht oxidatief bouquet, zoethout, een vleugje kaneel. Smaak / Afdronk: Fris zure start. Mondvullend en filmend. Sappig. Ook in de mond: honing en boenwas. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie Pessac, fraaie balans. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100
Google Translate:
Color: Medium golden yellow Aroma / bouquet: A touch of citrus. Boenwas, candle wax and vanilla. Light oxidative bouquet, licorice, a touch of cinnamon. Taste / Finish: Fresh sour start. Mouth filling and filming. Juicy. In the mouth: honey and beeswax. General / Potential: Beautiful Pessac, Beautiful Balance. 50+ Color: 5+ Aroma / Bouquet: 12 + Taste / Drink: 16 + General / Potential: 8 = 91/100 (2681 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 8/10/2017 & rated 90 points: SLDS August 2017: Smoke, honey, melon, toast and apple on the nose. The palate is quite sweet and rounded, there is a pinch of alcohol that shows through as well. This feels like it has developed well, with good structure still. Drink over the next 5 years. (2223 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/20/2022)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2022 (4/1/2022)
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Smith Haut Lafitte Vertical (4/6/2018)
(Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 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 Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/5/2011)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/30/2010)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2010, Issue #25, The 2007 Bordeaux Vintage- Middleweight Reds and Dry Whites, But Absolutely Brilliant and Hauntingly Refined Sauternes
(Château Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/20/2009)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2009
(Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc Pessac-Léognan) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2009
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/20/2008)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2008, Issue #20
(Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2008, IWC Issue #138
(Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Leognan Blanc) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/14/2008)
(Ch Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2008
(Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc Pessac-Léognan) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and Decanter and View From the Cellar and The World of Fine Wine 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 |
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