2024 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte
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Tasting notes
Lovely aromatics. Demonstratively Cabernet. Cassis, cedar, that stalky leafiness of all Sauvignon varietals at their best, a little bulby florality too – joined by copious bunches of freshly picked flowers at the UGC press tasting. Black cherry. Blackcurrant. A little black berry, all al dente. This feels very ripe and rather special (the selection of the fruit again crucial). One senses from the aromatics already the succulence to be found in the mouth and the svelte tannins – more 2020 than 2024! There’s a little spice from the oak, but more delicate at this stage than usual. Gracious but quite ample on the attack, if of course rather less so than 2022 or 2023. The acidity and the tannins work together a little like a St Emilion from the calcaire plateau St Emilion in layering this (with the Merlot of course planted here on argilo-calcaire soils), with the tannins like glass beads interspersed between the layers. Fresh and mentholated on the finish, again, like Le Petit Smith, but with more of a fantail still. Impressive. I love the crumbly tannins on the juicy finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
The more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated release, the 2024 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. It's deep purple-hued and offers classic cassis, graphite, sappy tobacco, and violet notes. On the palate, it's medium-bodied and has a focused, elegant mouthfeel, ripe yet present tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. It's more focused and structured than the Les Hauts de Smith.
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the 2024 Le Petit Haut Lafitte reveals a delicate, somber character with aromas of dark berries, spices, gentian and tobacco, mingled with delicate floral notes. Medium-bodied, round and sappy, it's perfectly balanced with a juicy mid-palate framed by an assertive tannic frame and a lead pencil-inflected finish. This year, the distinction between Le Petit and Les Hauts is more clearly defined than in recent vintages.
Captures the restrained pleasure of the vintage, with tension and just-enough density through the palate to maintain momentum, juicy blackberry fruits laced with crayon and cocoa bean, and a punch of liquorice. Enjoyable, will age, give it three or four years. 21hl/h yield, Fabien Teitgen technical director.
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.