2014 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc
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Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2014 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is wonderfully aromatic and fragrant. White flowers, lemon peel, lychee and mint inform a perfumed, crisp white to drink in its youth. The Petit Haut Lafitte is 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, all done in barrel with some lees stirring, but no malolactic fermentation. This is the brightest of the estate's whites.
The Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc 2014 is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon matured in 50% new oak. It has a more complex bouquet compared to the Cantelys Blanc '14 with fresh citrus lemon, grapefruit and pearskin scents, the Sémillon influencing the aromatics more than its percentage blend implies. The palate is well balanced with a crisp grapefruit and nectarine opening. The acidity here lends great tension to this wine, the Sémillon lending a lovely waxiness on the finish. This is well worth seeking out.
About the producer
Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte is one of the leading lights of Pessac-Léognan today – all thanks to Daniel and Florence Cathiard, who took over the property in 1990 and have since transformed the estate, converting to biodynamics and crafting wines of increasing finesse.