2017 Smith Haut Lafitte
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Tasting notes
Ripe ruby in colour, and this is excellent, very much ready to open and enjoy. They had some frost in the early part of the season, which meant careful selection for the 1st wine, and the rest of the season was relatively smooth. Pronounced floral character, with violets and rose petals. Salinity and energy in the wine takes the pacae of concentration and maintains the sense of presence and joy. Tannic structure less concentrated than the 2016 and 2018 on either side, taking this squarely into drinking territory. 80% new oak.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris. Tasted blind. Mid straw. Neat wine that gets the saliva going but initially seems a little dull after the glories that preceded it. Very correct but I’m looking for the thrill. Too tense for its own good. Though the finish is quite long. (JR)
One of the many bottles that I have enjoyed this year that make me want to recommend the 2017 vintage for drinking right now. It's not going to be the most long-living of Bordeaux years, but this fragrant, nuanced bottle has a charm that is already evident, with fresh raspberries and grilled plum notes, along with liquorice, sage and gunsmoke. Showcasing the precision and finesse of the winemaking team, this can be approached now with a few hours in a carafe, although it will deepen further over the next decade. The yield in this vintage was 35hl/h after some frost. 60% new oak. Fabien Teitgen technical director. Tasted at the château during the Connoisseur Week, and again over supper at my house later in the year.
Racy, sleek and mineral. Super refreshing and surely likely to last pretty well. (JR)
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.