2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
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Tasting notes
A serious, concentrated white, the 2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is based on 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon and displays a slightly deeper gold hue compared to the Les Hauts de Smith Blanc. Stone fruits, honeyed orange, spice, and minerality all emerge from the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, with a layered, concentrated profile and a great finish. Give it a year in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade. Drink 2027-2037.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is gorgeous. Rich and creamy, the 2023 is super impressive right out of the gate. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers and dried herbs race across the palate. Its phenolic intensity and structure are an ideal match for rich flavors at the dinner table.
The 2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a more complex nose than the Les Hauts de Smith Blanc, yellow fruit mixed with mirin and jasmine, well-defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with a less creamy texture, higher acidity and tension, a healthy dash of ginger toward the finish. Again, this has an attractive texture and should age well in bottle.
The 2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc checks in as 80% Sauvignon and 20% Semillon, brought up in 50% new French oak. It's dramatically different, with a bigger, richer, more rounded style, yet it still brings beautiful freshness and acidity. Lemon, bright citrus, spice, and mint all shine in this beauty, and it’s beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced.
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.