April 9, 2024 - This was as expected: bold black fruits n the fresh and wild spectrum, oaky spices,cedar and slightly chewy tannins. Smidge of pyrazine. Lovely with rack of lamb
March 1, 2024 - A quatuor of Bordeaux for this supper. Lafite Rothschild 1996, Gruaud-larose 2009, Montrose 2006 and Smith-Haut-Lafite 2011.
My favorite was the Lafite but I was disappointed. I rated it 94 (93-94). Impressive youthfulness for such an old wine. Cassis, tobacco and lead pencil with some green pepper. Complex and long but without the concentration and wow effect I expected from a Premier Grand cru. The three other guests rated it 92.
My second close favorite was the Gruaud-Larose: I rated it 93. The others had 92 or 93 ratings. It had more fruit but it still was less rich than I had hoped for.
The Smith-Haut Lafite was also excellent, tasting younger and having classic Bordeaux character: I rated it 92, The others, 91 to 93.
The Montrose barely made the 90 mark for me: very austere, dry wood on the mouth mixed with black fruits. We were three rating it 90 with the fourth of us gaving it 94.
December 29, 2023 - Already entered its drinking window. Pronounced nose intensity with notes of red and black fruits, spices, violet, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin.
December 16, 2023 - Ripe blackberry, ripe blueberry, ripe black currant, tomato leaf, tobacco and green bell pepper on the nose. Agree with Englishman's Claret - only medium intensity of aromas. I wish they were a bit higher. The palate, however, is quite intense, adding graphite and black cherries and keeping just about everything else from the nose. Finishes with the dark fruits.
Medium + body, ripping medium + acid and medium tannin. Great pairing with lamb chops. Drinking very well right now; but has the structure to last another 10 years easily. If you like tertiary flavors, definitely hold this. However, no fault at all in opening one right now.
October 14, 2023 - 검붉은 루비색과 훈현향 그리고 잘 어우러지는 신선한 산도와 함께 끝에는 미네랄의 짭쪼르함이 살짝 느껴지는데 탄닌의 느낌이 너무 부드럽게 잘 풀어져 있어 마시는 동안 정말 입안에서 부드럽고 전체적으로 둥글 둥글한 느낌
하지만 복잡하지 않아서 살짝 아쉬운데 사실 2011 빈티지가 그렇게 좋은 해가 아니라 많이 기대를 안 했기에 지금의 정도에 충분히 만족스럽다. 이 빈티지의 가장 적정 시음기간에 들어있는 듯 싶다.
September 9, 2023 - Interestingly, the nose on this example of the 2011 Smith Haut Lafitte is indistinguishable from the last example - slightly dumb, smudged, a little smoke and graphite. It's on the palate that this surprises me, which a delectable blueberry pie, potpourri character. While I don't expect this to rocket into the top tier of SHL, it seems wise to lock bottles away for another 5 years or so and hope that the dumb nose becomes an open one, matching the articulation found on the palate.
90 (+?)
August 13, 2023 - Dan Murphy's random tasting (Dan Murphy's, Martin Place): From Coravin. Brettanomyces, black plums, blackcurrant, leather, cedar, slightly meaty underpin. Juicy, fleshy, fresh/wild blackcurrant, textured burr is drying, grippy, slightly coarse, medium plus length. Hmm.
June 1, 2023 - Bouquet of ripe berries, grilled peppers, mint, a bit rubbery. Great palate, a real pleasure to drink, lush, round, sweet berries, quite a bit of freshness but well integrated. Finish not super-long and overall not hugely complex, but also far away from a simple wine. I was a bit worried about 2011 vintage not being to my palate, so this is really a very positive surprise. It was on right after opening, and did not change too much over 3 nights. So I would say, why wait.
April 27, 2023 - Tasted at the Magnum Club Smith Haut Lafitte dinner
Excellent colour, and a classic bouquet. On the palate it shows good complexity and concentration, but it is really quite austere and lacking in generosity. The tannins are mostly subsumed but there's some acidity which keeps it fresh. A good effort for the vintage, and a good wine to go with food, but not one which makes you want to drink it by itself.
I suspect it will last a long time, and improve over several years as the tertiary flavours develop further.
December 25, 2022 - Very nice and in a pretty entering maturity place. Light nose is vaguely pencils and hair cream. Dark fruits and a nice richness on the spine. A bit broad and had shut down moments of high acidity at random points over 4_ hours. Very enjoyable at apex times.