I didn't get a chance to make notes on this and I let the ladies drink most of this one, but they raved over it. We have had this several times and it is always excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully. 2017 was a better year in Graves for white than the reds. Bright acidity with moderate roundness. The usual mix of white grapefruit from the SauvB and a bit stone fruit from the Semillon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux Wimps June 2023 - 1945 (La Trompette): On pouring - a hint of burnt rubber. After a while some well behaved tropical fruit starts to peer through. On the palate - grass, someone mentioned blackcurrant leaf, and over time it developed a slight waxiness. This is very good indeed.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine has a light yellow color with greenish hues. On the nose, it reveals aromas of wax, grass, gooseberries, nettles, and peaches. The palate is concentrated and rich, with flavors of citrus, apple, grass, and gooseberries. It has a long finish with hints of chervil. Overall, this wine offers a vibrant fruit profile, balanced with herbal nuances and a rich texture.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale yellow color Green apple and pear on the nose On the palate lemon, grapefruit, pear, and a bit of vanilla Medium acidity and light tannins Good complexity.
This was a big hit with everyone
2023-05-11 St Petersburg FL, Cora's first visit Wine tasting dinner with Josh and Ashley
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Loving this again. Tropical fruit on the nose, but comes across as balanced in the in the mouth, with the fruit, a waxiness, and a nuttiness leading to a long finish. This bottle was in a sweet spot for me in terms of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best Sauvignon Blanc based wine I’ve ever tasted. Just really great with w extra dimensions of minerality, salt, lemon, other citrus, acid - like these unexplored corners of Sav Blanc from your standard “very good” Sav Blanc.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has not moved much in the last year and to be honest this confirms the quality of this producer and how I really need to drink more white Bordeaux. Notes of white peaches, nectarines, Asian pear, wild spring flowers, honey suckle, vanilla. The palate is medium bodied and layered with rich succulent orchard fruit, sweet spices, crushed stones refreshing acidity and a finish which was long layered and lingered for easily 60 seconds. 96-97
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
On top of all the goodness you'd expect -- grassiness, minerality, citrus... -- this develops a wonderful hit of unsweetened coconut that comes on subtly but really develops into something noticeable. It was great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautifully balanced wine showing just a bit of everything but nothing poking out too much. Freshness in spades but enough viscosity to make the mouthfeel a bit luxurious. Zippy lemon provides a touch of acidity to keep it exciting and vibrant. Wish it wasn’t so expensive because I’d love to have this as a house wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual Xmas Lunch (incl. Yquem 01): Tasted for the second time in a month with consistent performance (first bottle was a 95 pts wine). SHL Blanc continuous to be my favorite white Bordeaux (although I’ve never had the pleasure to cross path with the HB or LMHB Blanc). I love the fresh style, the very mineral-driven aroma profile and most likely the fact that there isn’t as much Semillon in the blend as in most other white Bordeauxs (only 5%). Maybe Semillion based whites are capable of showing more depth but I prefer the aromatic profile of Sauvignon Blanc and the extra freshness.
TN: Very expressive, intense spearmint, tropical and citrus fruit and lots of sea salt minerality on the nose and palate. On the palate this is super fresh, round and creamy with a perfectly round and integrated acidity. The same citrus and tropical fruit core with loads and loads of sea salt minerality and some more mint notes keeping the fruit in check and adding to the freshness of the wine. This is wonderful to drink today with good mid palate weight and a long finish. Could be more complex, yes, but it’s a great wine.
Decanting: Not decanted, followed over two hours. Improved with a bit of air. One hour in the decanter won’t hurt.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Apricot, gooseberry and lemon juice with plenty of mineral undertones (sea salt) and some spice. Very nice intensity overall. A creamy texture with good tension that initially masks the acidity - of which there is plenty. More citric fruit on the palate. This wine is clearly stepping up its game a couple of years in and there could be even more to come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Informal dinner. No notes taken. This is an amazing wine. In typical SHL fashion, this is has lots of citrus fruit with some tropical notes too, a nice sweetness but prefectly balanced with so much sea salt and chalk minerality, a touch of toast. Textural richness but with a very high and perfectly integrated acidity cutting through all of it. Always a favorite, this improved and added more layers since I‘ve last tasted it upon arrivage two years ago. 95/96 pts.
Decanting: A solid 1 hour in the decanter are advised to give the wine time to open up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.
Smith Haut Lafitte is such a beautiful property with a gorgeous hotel, spa and multiple restaurants... they even have their own barrel maker onsite. A great way to end the day with the wife at the Spa, me tasting throughout the day and we meet back up for a tasting and then a fabulous dinner, hard to beat.
We tasted: 2011, 2015 & 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte 2017 Smith Haut Lafite Blanc
The 2017 blanc needs time in the cellar to fatten up a bit and allow the structure to easy a bit, for my palate any way. For those looking more for a leaner sharper wine, have at it now. Possible upside in a couple of years.
good aroma, definitely has the Bordeaux white character especially its toast and oak flavor. Palate is relatively simple and flat. a very easy drinking white.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light yellow to clear. A deft wine with citrus, grass, and honeysuckle. It’s a superbly easy drinking yet distinctive white Bordeaux. Elegant, clean, and suave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an absolutely breathtaking wine, and clearly, one of the best if not, the best dry white wines from Bordeaux. The nose explodes with ripe peaches, exotic quince, elderflower, white spring florals, vanilla bean, and spice. The palate is wonderfully textured and shows layers of rich white orchard fruit, sweet spices, crushed florals, citrus oil, with bright acidity and sea salt. The wine shows a perfect balance between the fruit, minerality(a word I hate but have to use here), and oak. There is so much elegance and lace to this wine, yet with real complexity that lingers for minutes after. I have to stop myself from scoring this wine higher. 97-98
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine has the potential to be a 95+ wine but for tonight it will have to do with a 94. This wine is just so yummy (a technical term) that you could drink an entire barrel in one go although the medicos may frown at this concept.
Beautifully sculpted on the back of 5% semillion, the wine at this early stage is full of passionfruit, pineapple, melon and lime. This is not surprising as it has 90% sauvignon blanc. There is some saline on the body but right now, it has beautiful acidity and structure. A refined and lingering peach, beeswax and zesty finish to round out a spectecular show. It is quite creamy with also a hint of cloves. Drink in 5+ years but if you must, you can enjoy it now. A very age-worthy wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Certainly very young, but hitting all the notes beautifully. Lemon/lime and beeswax on the nose. In the mouth, crisp acidity from the citrus, but also a nuttiness, creaminess, and minerality that balances everything out and gives the wine great depth. Will have a hard time keeping my hands off these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very precise with accent on the Sauvignon - an a bad day one migth even have placed it in Loire. Grapefruit, lemon galore, but the wine needs time to expand. 92+ point #Ib
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Everything is on target here. The nose with its flowery aromatics paired with yellow citrus, orange blossom, mint leaf and grapefruit works. On the palate, the lushly textured fruit has that beautiful acidic pop, giving you citrus, mango and vanilla in the finish. This should age quite well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
UGC 2017 Tasting, San Francisco. Limited notes other than to say: this wine was really lovely, with the Domaine de Chevalier an excellent second. The 2017 SHL has much more in common with the chateau's 2015 than with their 2016. Wonderful acidity, omnipresent elements of kiwi and gooseberry. Quite rich with white and yellow fruits that seem to blossom. Excellent acidity. Ninety percent Sauvignon Blanc, five percent each Sauvignon Gris and Semillon. Wonder if the SG gives the wine its extra richness compared to the other whites? Just lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Distinctively but not aggressively Sauvignon Blanc with lemon, gooseberry and grapefruit plus minerality and a hint of oak. Oak comes through on palate with somewhat elevated alcohol and good acidity. LA UGC tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Here I found a dramatic expression of Bordeaux Blanc, yet coloring perfectly within the lines to find balance, as a rich display of citrus and ripe apple were further accentuated by white and yellow florals, hints of anise and a sweet, dusting of minerals. On the palate, I found soft, enveloping textures, balanced by a core of brisk acids and a twang of tart lemon citrus, as ripe tropical fruits coated the senses, yet it was kept in check by those zesty acids. It finished long and texturally on ripe yellow tropical fruits, hints of honey, and lovely sweet spice. There is no lack of complexity in this alluring and energized Smith Haut Blanc.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux 2017 En Primeur - In Bottle Tasting (Montreal): I have a slight preference for the SHL compared to Pape Clement today, however, it is close. This showed tropical fruits of pineapple and star fruit, Asian pear along with grapefruit, orange blossom, the palate was multilayered with waves of tropical and citrus fruit, rich, full and intense this had you going back for more, the finish was straight and long. This has a great life ahead, happy I have a case of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux 2017: A first look at the newly bottled 2017s Bordeaux. Twelve top 50 Chateaux, three top whites and one top sweet wine tasted (but hardly any superstar). All in all, the wines are good with a soft structure which might make them relatively early approachable. In terms of concentration and depth, however, they do not even remotely match the 2016s (or 2015s and 2018s for that matter). I had a tad higher hopes (for the reds and whites). Top reds: Pichon Lalande (94), Carmes, Poyferre, Canon and Valandraud (all 93) – all with 2 or 3 points upside once mature. As there are so many great recent vintages, there is no need to chase the 2017s reds, especially as they’re priced too high (compared to the other vintages). The sweet wines might be worth exploring further.
TN: I really love the freshness and purity of aromas in all three tasted whites from Pessac but I expected a tad higher complexity for the much lauded vintage for whites it is. But the structure is impeccable and cellaring will bring forward more aromas. So for the whites 2017 is not a vintage to neglect. The best white today was the Domaine de Chevalier (95), followed by the SHL (94) and the Pape Clement (93). The Smith Haut Lafitte is more intense and dense than the Pape Clement with grass, peaches, apple, lemon and a wet rock/salty minerality. A nicely sweet core is held in place by a pronounced but very round acidity. All is embedded in a creamy texture and shows very harmonious. 94 points with upside up to 96+ once mature.
Arvi 2017 in the bottle tasting at the Dolder Grand in Zurich. Main conclusions: 1) Less concentration and complexity than 2015 and 2016; 2) generally soft tannins and light structures; 3) often well approachable already. Not a vintage to store for future generations, but one where you probably won't have to wait for a decade or more to pop a bottle and is likely to offer drinking pleasure early on. Of the 20 wines tasted, my top picks would be Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Clinet, Chevalier Blanc, Pichon Lalande (all 96) followed by Leoville Barton, de Fargues and Valandrau (all 95). See the tasting story for some number crunching.
Tasting note: Slightly restrained fruit of lychees. Clean with hardly noticeable oak. Nice and smooth palate, but lacked a tad acidity - not sure about the aging potential here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing nose, so layered and complex - ripe yellow stone fruit, tropical fruit, floral notes, orange peel, herbs, spices. On the palate round, generous, incredible dense with wonderful acidity. Lovely mineral thread towards the long and lingering finish. Stunning. 95-96+
With honeysuckle, lemons, pear, almonds and traces of vanilla bean, this wine is loaded with sweet yellow fruits, crushed rocks and vibrant acidity. Offering a buoyancy and a profundity of flavor with length and complexity, this wine was produced from a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. It reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.15.
4/19/2024 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
I didn't get a chance to make notes on this and I let the ladies drink most of this one, but they raved over it. We have had this several times and it is always excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2024 - SWHighlander Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. 2017 was a better year in Graves for white than the reds. Bright acidity with moderate roundness. The usual mix of white grapefruit from the SauvB and a bit stone fruit from the Semillon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2023 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful color lemon, apricot, pear with a bit of brown sugar
Loved this wine since our stay in Bordeaux 2023
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2023 - merlotsmile wrote:
SENSOMMARMIDDAG MED VITVINSPROVNING Under ledning av Mischa Billing (Lund): Comm Bx Mischa
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Bordeaux Wimps June 2023 - 1945 (La Trompette): On pouring - a hint of burnt rubber. After a while some well behaved tropical fruit starts to peer through. On the palate - grass, someone mentioned blackcurrant leaf, and over time it developed a slight waxiness. This is very good indeed.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2023 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Light yellow, big broad nose of peaches, apples, rich & fat on the palate, v good white Bordeaux
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2023 - Torchy wrote: 92 Points
This wine has a light yellow color with greenish hues. On the nose, it reveals aromas of wax, grass, gooseberries, nettles, and peaches. The palate is concentrated and rich, with flavors of citrus, apple, grass, and gooseberries. It has a long finish with hints of chervil. Overall, this wine offers a vibrant fruit profile, balanced with herbal nuances and a rich texture.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2023 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pale yellow color
Green apple and pear on the nose
On the palate lemon, grapefruit, pear, and a bit of vanilla
Medium acidity and light tannins Good complexity.
This was a big hit with everyone
2023-05-11 St Petersburg FL, Cora's first visit
Wine tasting dinner with Josh and Ashley
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2023 - skifree Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loving this again. Tropical fruit on the nose, but comes across as balanced in the in the mouth, with the fruit, a waxiness, and a nuttiness leading to a long finish. This bottle was in a sweet spot for me in terms of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2022 - Dpark8 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful wine.
Decanted for an hour.
Lemon zest, oily, tropical fruits,
Good as it gets for a Bordeaux white
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2022 - tonyhuang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cooked lemon, bruised apple, peach, a little oily but mineral and very bright in acidity. Slightly thin on the mid palate, but overall high quality.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best Sauvignon Blanc based wine I’ve ever tasted. Just really great with w extra dimensions of minerality, salt, lemon, other citrus, acid - like these unexplored corners of Sav Blanc from your standard “very good” Sav Blanc.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2022 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 96 Points
This has not moved much in the last year and to be honest this confirms the quality of this producer and how I really need to drink more white Bordeaux. Notes of white peaches, nectarines, Asian pear, wild spring flowers, honey suckle, vanilla. The palate is medium bodied and layered with rich succulent orchard fruit, sweet spices, crushed stones refreshing acidity and a finish which was long layered and lingered for easily 60 seconds. 96-97
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2022 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 95 Points
On top of all the goodness you'd expect -- grassiness, minerality, citrus... -- this develops a wonderful hit of unsweetened coconut that comes on subtly but really develops into something noticeable. It was great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2022 - Ekoostik wrote:
Beautifully balanced wine showing just a bit of everything but nothing poking out too much. Freshness in spades but enough viscosity to make the mouthfeel a bit luxurious. Zippy lemon provides a touch of acidity to keep it exciting and vibrant. Wish it wasn’t so expensive because I’d love to have this as a house wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2021 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Annual Xmas Lunch (incl. Yquem 01): Tasted for the second time in a month with consistent performance (first bottle was a 95 pts wine). SHL Blanc continuous to be my favorite white Bordeaux (although I’ve never had the pleasure to cross path with the HB or LMHB Blanc). I love the fresh style, the very mineral-driven aroma profile and most likely the fact that there isn’t as much Semillon in the blend as in most other white Bordeauxs (only 5%). Maybe Semillion based whites are capable of showing more depth but I prefer the aromatic profile of Sauvignon Blanc and the extra freshness.
TN: Very expressive, intense spearmint, tropical and citrus fruit and lots of sea salt minerality on the nose and palate. On the palate this is super fresh, round and creamy with a perfectly round and integrated acidity. The same citrus and tropical fruit core with loads and loads of sea salt minerality and some more mint notes keeping the fruit in check and adding to the freshness of the wine. This is wonderful to drink today with good mid palate weight and a long finish. Could be more complex, yes, but it’s a great wine.
Decanting: Not decanted, followed over two hours. Improved with a bit of air. One hour in the decanter won’t hurt.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Apricot, gooseberry and lemon juice with plenty of mineral undertones (sea salt) and some spice. Very nice intensity overall. A creamy texture with good tension that initially masks the acidity - of which there is plenty. More citric fruit on the palate. This wine is clearly stepping up its game a couple of years in and there could be even more to come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Informal dinner. No notes taken. This is an amazing wine. In typical SHL fashion, this is has lots of citrus fruit with some tropical notes too, a nice sweetness but prefectly balanced with so much sea salt and chalk minerality, a touch of toast. Textural richness but with a very high and perfectly integrated acidity cutting through all of it. Always a favorite, this improved and added more layers since I‘ve last tasted it upon arrivage two years ago. 95/96 pts.
Decanting: A solid 1 hour in the decanter are advised to give the wine time to open up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2021 - TXRDW wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth & refreshing white Bordeaux. Not overpowering, but distinctively fresh. Can’t wait to see how this wine evolves.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2021 - la turque wrote: 92 Points
A little tight and unyielding at the moment. Quite citrusy. Give this a couple of years. Perennially my favourite dry white Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2021 - LiteItOnFire wrote: 89 Points
2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.
Smith Haut Lafitte is such a beautiful property with a gorgeous hotel, spa and multiple restaurants... they even have their own barrel maker onsite. A great way to end the day with the wife at the Spa, me tasting throughout the day and we meet back up for a tasting and then a fabulous dinner, hard to beat.
We tasted:
2011, 2015 & 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte
2017 Smith Haut Lafite Blanc
The 2017 blanc needs time in the cellar to fatten up a bit and allow the structure to easy a bit, for my palate any way. For those looking more for a leaner sharper wine, have at it now. Possible upside in a couple of years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
6/1/2021 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Oily, textured, fine floral perfume. Dense and packed getting broader. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2021 - vetty wrote: 90 Points
good aroma, definitely has the Bordeaux white character especially its toast and oak flavor. Palate is relatively simple and flat. a very easy drinking white.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2021 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light yellow to clear. A deft wine with citrus, grass, and honeysuckle. It’s a superbly easy drinking yet distinctive white Bordeaux. Elegant, clean, and suave.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2021 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is an absolutely breathtaking wine, and clearly, one of the best if not, the best dry white wines from Bordeaux. The nose explodes with ripe peaches, exotic quince, elderflower, white spring florals, vanilla bean, and spice. The palate is wonderfully textured and shows layers of rich white orchard fruit, sweet spices, crushed florals, citrus oil, with bright acidity and sea salt. The wine shows a perfect balance between the fruit, minerality(a word I hate but have to use here), and oak. There is so much elegance and lace to this wine, yet with real complexity that lingers for minutes after. I have to stop myself from scoring this wine higher. 97-98
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2021 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has the potential to be a 95+ wine but for tonight it will have to do with a 94. This wine is just so yummy (a technical term) that you could drink an entire barrel in one go although the medicos may frown at this concept.
Beautifully sculpted on the back of 5% semillion, the wine at this early stage is full of passionfruit, pineapple, melon and lime. This is not surprising as it has 90% sauvignon blanc. There is some saline on the body but right now, it has beautiful acidity and structure. A refined and lingering peach, beeswax and zesty finish to round out a spectecular show. It is quite creamy with also a hint of cloves. Drink in 5+ years but if you must, you can enjoy it now. A very age-worthy wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2020 - skifree wrote: 95 Points
Certainly very young, but hitting all the notes beautifully. Lemon/lime and beeswax on the nose. In the mouth, crisp acidity from the citrus, but also a nuttiness, creaminess, and minerality that balances everything out and gives the wine great depth. Will have a hard time keeping my hands off these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2020 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
Very precise with accent on the Sauvignon - an a bad day one migth even have placed it in Loire. Grapefruit, lemon galore, but the wine needs time to expand. 92+ point
#Ib
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Everything is on target here. The nose with its flowery aromatics paired with yellow citrus, orange blossom, mint leaf and grapefruit works. On the palate, the lushly textured fruit has that beautiful acidic pop, giving you citrus, mango and vanilla in the finish. This should age quite well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting and Winemakers' Dinner (Beurs van Berlage / Eden Hotel): Trade tasting, brief note. Similar style to the Pape Clément, but the oak is more pronounced, impressive depth and power, but will need time to develop its finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2020 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 94 Points
UGC 2017 Tasting, San Francisco. Limited notes other than to say: this wine was really lovely, with the Domaine de Chevalier an excellent second. The 2017 SHL has much more in common with the chateau's 2015 than with their 2016. Wonderful acidity, omnipresent elements of kiwi and gooseberry. Quite rich with white and yellow fruits that seem to blossom. Excellent acidity. Ninety percent Sauvignon Blanc, five percent each Sauvignon Gris and Semillon. Wonder if the SG gives the wine its extra richness compared to the other whites? Just lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2020 - Roger Patterson wrote: 91 Points
Distinctively but not aggressively Sauvignon Blanc with lemon, gooseberry and grapefruit plus minerality and a hint of oak. Oak comes through on palate with somewhat elevated alcohol and good acidity. LA UGC tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2020 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
Here I found a dramatic expression of Bordeaux Blanc, yet coloring perfectly within the lines to find balance, as a rich display of citrus and ripe apple were further accentuated by white and yellow florals, hints of anise and a sweet, dusting of minerals. On the palate, I found soft, enveloping textures, balanced by a core of brisk acids and a twang of tart lemon citrus, as ripe tropical fruits coated the senses, yet it was kept in check by those zesty acids. It finished long and texturally on ripe yellow tropical fruits, hints of honey, and lovely sweet spice. There is no lack of complexity in this alluring and energized Smith Haut Blanc.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2020 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2017 En Primeur - In Bottle Tasting (Montreal): I have a slight preference for the SHL compared to Pape Clement today, however, it is close. This showed tropical fruits of pineapple and star fruit, Asian pear along with grapefruit, orange blossom, the palate was multilayered with waves of tropical and citrus fruit, rich, full and intense this had you going back for more, the finish was straight and long. This has a great life ahead, happy I have a case of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2019 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2017: A first look at the newly bottled 2017s Bordeaux. Twelve top 50 Chateaux, three top whites and one top sweet wine tasted (but hardly any superstar). All in all, the wines are good with a soft structure which might make them relatively early approachable. In terms of concentration and depth, however, they do not even remotely match the 2016s (or 2015s and 2018s for that matter). I had a tad higher hopes (for the reds and whites). Top reds: Pichon Lalande (94), Carmes, Poyferre, Canon and Valandraud (all 93) – all with 2 or 3 points upside once mature. As there are so many great recent vintages, there is no need to chase the 2017s reds, especially as they’re priced too high (compared to the other vintages). The sweet wines might be worth exploring further.
TN: I really love the freshness and purity of aromas in all three tasted whites from Pessac but I expected a tad higher complexity for the much lauded vintage for whites it is. But the structure is impeccable and cellaring will bring forward more aromas. So for the whites 2017 is not a vintage to neglect. The best white today was the Domaine de Chevalier (95), followed by the SHL (94) and the Pape Clement (93). The Smith Haut Lafitte is more intense and dense than the Pape Clement with grass, peaches, apple, lemon and a wet rock/salty minerality. A nicely sweet core is held in place by a pronounced but very round acidity. All is embedded in a creamy texture and shows very harmonious. 94 points with upside up to 96+ once mature.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/4/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Arvi 2017 in the bottle tasting at the Dolder Grand in Zurich. Main conclusions: 1) Less concentration and complexity than 2015 and 2016; 2) generally soft tannins and light structures; 3) often well approachable already. Not a vintage to store for future generations, but one where you probably won't have to wait for a decade or more to pop a bottle and is likely to offer drinking pleasure early on. Of the 20 wines tasted, my top picks would be Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Clinet, Chevalier Blanc, Pichon Lalande (all 96) followed by Leoville Barton, de Fargues and Valandrau (all 95). See the tasting story for some number crunching.
Tasting note:
Slightly restrained fruit of lychees. Clean with hardly noticeable oak. Nice and smooth palate, but lacked a tad acidity - not sure about the aging potential here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 96 Points
Amazing nose, so layered and complex - ripe yellow stone fruit, tropical fruit, floral notes, orange peel, herbs, spices. On the palate round, generous, incredible dense with wonderful acidity. Lovely mineral thread towards the long and lingering finish. Stunning. 95-96+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
4/26/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
With honeysuckle, lemons, pear, almonds and traces of vanilla bean, this wine is loaded with sweet yellow fruits, crushed rocks and vibrant acidity. Offering a buoyancy and a profundity of flavor with length and complexity, this wine was produced from a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. It reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.15.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)