June 5, 2022 - I think we drank this too late.
September 5, 2020 - Muted at first but opened up beautifully.
November 12, 2019 - Really fully mature but showing good freshness and balance in a subtle style. There are lovely flavors of asphalt and smoked tobacco with a smooth texture and a fine finish if lacking great complexity. Drink up! At 11 Madison.
November 11, 2019 - 1990 Dinner Hosted by Cedric Nicaise at Eleven Madison Park (Eleven Madison Park): Good structure. Dark, earthy profile. A bit closed. Not quite the same level of quality as other 1990s.
December 3, 2017 - Tasting pour, Very expressive nose, showing truffle, sweet cedar and blueberries. The palate was open, fantastically balanced and for my palate in a great spot - savoury notes of mixed spice, truffles, hints of mushroom that went with cassis, cherry and an orange peel type taste. The wine was full bodied still with tannin remaining. Very nice
July 25, 2016 - Perfect cork. Classic nose of tobacco, earth and dark cherry. Fully mature with plenty of secondary flavors - leather, tobacco, earth complimenting pretty cherry fruit. Better than expected. 91 points
April 29, 2016 - Tasted at a brilliant Masterclass dinner at 67PM. The fully mature 1990 Smith Haut Lafitte boasts a dense garnet core with slight amber on the rims and intense aromas of sun dried tomatoes, burnt tar, old leather and cigar humidor. It is medium to full bodied with delicious interlaced flavours of caramel, Grand Marnier and dried cranberries, lingering on with a remarkable 60 second silky finish. It probably won't benefit from anymore cellaring and should be enjoyed sooner rather than later.
We also had the pleasure of tasting the outstanding 2000 and 2005 in the same flight. No formal formal notes were taken for either (I was too busy enjoying them!) but they would both score in the mid 90s, with 2005 as my personal favourite.
April 28, 2016 - Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Dinner (67 Pall Mall): Fully mature with classic claret notes of old leather, spice, tobacco, tar and earth. Very similar to the Domaine de Chevalier of this age. Lovely.
March 29, 2015 - 25 years of the Cathiards at Smith Haut Lafitte: all magnum verticals (Château Smith Haut Lafitte): Ripe and a touch of orange rind. But also a nail polish sensation, as the acidity seems to be overcoming the fruit. Good but do not wait much longer. This is from magnum, en plus.
October 31, 2013 - Tres particulier, imbuvable a louverture, bon apres 1 h tres bon apres 2 h