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Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2018

Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Bordeaux, France

Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Bordeaux France
  • 99
    Points
  • The 275 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 23 Pros of
    23 recommend
    this wine
363 99
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    231

  • Producer ranking ?

    8

  • Decanting time

    4h

  • When to drink

    from 2025

  • Food Pairing

    red Beet Arancini

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Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aging in 60% new barriques, the very deep purple-black colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte is a little shy to begin. With coaxing, it very slowly unfurls to reveal a heart-stopping perfume of violets, red roses, kirsch, black cherries and redcurrant jelly, before giving way to a profound core of warm blackcurrants, blackberry preserves, molten li...

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The Story

Each Château has its own style.  / What would be, according to you, the specificities of Château Smith Haut Lafitte Red?

The style of our red wine is very classic, with a beautiful expression of our terroir of Günzian Gravel which gives unique smoky notes. We pursue elegance and structure, freshness and complexity, balance and richness.
Our majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested at full maturity and softly vinified to extract only the s...

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Wine Information

Daniel and Florence Cathiard transformed this property in the early 1990s and have been making very individual, sexy wines since then which combine flavours of classic earthy Graves with silky and seductive new oak from barrels produced by their in-house cooper. The 67 hectare vineyard is planted with 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and the remainder Cabernet Franc. Maturation in 60% new oak from their in-house cooper. In 2...

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Vintage 2018

2018 Bordeaux Vintage Report and recommendations

by Andrew Caillard MW

2018 is an exceptional year. The Bordeaux whites and sauternes are very good, but from an Australian perspective the excitement is all in the red wines. All sub regions produced examples of really good wines, but some performed better than others. Generally the very top estates made exemplary wines illustrating that the human factor and wealth can have a major impact ...

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Tasting note

color

Deep and Ruby red

ending

Long, Flavorful and Lingering

flavors

Blackcurrant, Toasty, Cedar, New-oak and Perfumed

nose

Youthful, Complex, Ripe and Seductive

taste

Average in Acidity, Perfectly balanced, Concentrated, Well-structured, Youthful, Full-bodied, Focused, Elegant, Toasty and Drying tannins

Verdict

Sophisticated and Fine

Written Notes

Intense inky purple colour. The nose offers butterscotch, fine oak, ripe black currant and sage aromas with finely spicy layers. The palate is dense and concentrated with fine extraction and really polished tannin, exuberant yet fresh dark berry flavours with pain d’épices, discreet oak and tobacco hints leading on to a very long and silky finish. Very stylish and haute couture wine making.

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  • 96p

This wine has a dark red, almost black colour. The nose is redolent of fresh fruit (raspberries, cherries, strawberries) and, after swirling in the glass, more complex notes of spice, dried herbs, fennel, and a slight floral nuance.
The wine is straightforward and well-balanced on the palate, with good concentration and plenty of volume. Despite a substantial quantity of tannin, it remains smooth and rich, with excellent balance between substance, density and freshness. The texture is delicate and precise. The finish is very long and complex with fresh red fruit, liquorice and cinnamon, as well as more terroir-induced notes of smoke and flint.

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Smith Haut Lafitte - lots of aromatic blackcurrants and black cherries on the nose, powerful on the palate with a strong backbone, big concentration, multilayered and with great length. Long, long finish. Impressive effort. 96p (95-96p).

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  • 96p

Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2018 / This is incredibly complex with hazelnut, currant, berry and dried-flower character. The impression of a vat of fermenting cabernet. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a long, soft and silky finish. Shows the essence of the fruit here. Fascinating. Layered and complex.
Barrel Sample: 98-99

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  • 99p

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Exceptionally dark crimson. Fresh and ripe – almost rudely healthy on the nose! Perhaps not quite knit on the mid palate yet and with a little oak in evidence but lots of ingredients there. Dry finish.

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  • 90p

Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2018 / Already very approachable with an alluring whiff of cocoa that lures you in before disappearing into the core of steeped plum, roasted fig and blackberry coulis notes. Sandalwood, black tea and loam elements fill in on the long and expansive finish.Very good indeed!

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  • 97p

Dark purple red with violet hue and black core. Rich wine with powerful but closed nose, elegant fruit, dark berries and hints of red berries, distinct spiciness. On the palate powerful, firm yet ripe tannins, fine structure and excellent length. 

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  • 96p
Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is ruby red and deep. On the nose it is intense, open, youthful, complex, seductive, ripe and refined. The taste is focused, elegant, perfumed, toasty,robust, refined, with silky tannins, drying tannins, and average in acidity, full-bodied, with perfectly balanced, concentrated, well-structured, complex structure and youthful. On the palate it is layered and has toasty, perfumed, blackcurrant, cedar and new-oak flavours. The finish is long, vibrant, lingering and flavorful. This wine is sophisticated and fine. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years and decant at least over 4h before tasting.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Martillac, Bordeaux

Other wines from this producer

Château Cantelys

Château Cantelys blanc

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc

Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Casher

Hauts de Smith Blanc

Le Petit Haut Lafitte

Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc

Les Hauts de Smith

Les Hauts de Smith rouge

Inside Information

97-100 JEB DUNNUCK: "Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks, and spice. Deep, profoundly concentrated, beautifully seamless and textured on the palate, it reminds me of the 2009 with its opulent, powerful style. It´s a brilliant wine from this terrific estate and up with the top wines in the vintage. Hats off to director Fabien Teitgen who continues to make an elegant yet powerful, uncompromising style of wine."

98-99 JAMES SUCKLING: "This is incredibly complex with hazelnut, currant, berry and dried-flower character. The impression of a vat of fermenting cabernet. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a long, soft and silky finish. Shows the essence of the fruit here. Fascinating. Layered and complex."

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