x
  • Country ranking ?

    449
  • Producer ranking ?

    16
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2028
  • Food Pairing

    chilled seafood

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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 White?

About our style, I would say that either you love our wines or you hate them. But be careful, if you do love them, it is for life… Our style is quite special, even paradoxical.
We have 90% of Sauvignon Blanc in our blend, however this proportion is almost unidentifiable on a blind tasting because of the age of our vines, ...

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Vintage 2019

BORDEAUX 2019 VINTAGE

When I was visiting Bordeaux early March, Corona was a threat on the horizon and France has been more concerned by a strike of the air traffic control. However, I was travelling to Bordeaux and had the chance to get some first insights to the 2019 vintage. I was very much looking forward to the “en primeur tastings” which were scheduled for March 26, 2020 but the tastings were cancelled mid-March. Immediately I contact...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Medium, Yellow and Clear

ending

Long, Lingering and Vibrant

flavors

Mineral, Herbs, Floral, Citrus, Dried-fruit and White fruits

nose

Youthful, Complex, Fresh and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

High in Acidity, Warming, Multi-dimensional, Developing, Medium-bodied, Elegant, Fresh, Fruity and Dry

Verdict

Masterpiece

Written Notes

This wine is a lovely pale-yellow colour.
The nose is very expressive, revealing very fresh citrus (grapefruit) notes, alongside ripe yellow fruit (peach, apricot, mango), as well as floral and spicy overtones (elderflower, star anise) coming to the fore, enhancing aromatic complexity.
Starts out tight on the palate, becoming concentrated, powerful and rich. The overall impression is a polished wine with wonderful acidity. It has great length, underscored by superb balance between acidity and concentration, and a very soft texture. Yellow fruit and citrus aromas follow through to the palate, underpinned by incredibly complex spices and white flower notes.

Good looking normal size bottle and in an perfect condition. Colour is yellow, and looking clear and medium. On the nose it is youthful, intense, seductive, fresh and complex. The taste is elegant, fresh, fruity, perfumed,robust, and dry, warming, and high in acidity, medium-bodied, with multi-dimensional structure and developing. On the palate it is layered and has herbs, white fruits, mineral, dried-fruit, citrus and floral flavours. The finish is long, vibrant and lingering. This wine is masterpiece. I paid around 100-200€ a bottle. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years and decant at least 15min before tasting. Good value for money. I do recommend.

  • 96p

90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris. 
Spice and creamy depth is immediately apparent. Rich, mealy, with a lovely depth of citrus fruit, as well as that cedar-like freshness from the oak. I would not have guessed this had so little Sémillon in the blend. Deep, long, creamy and a clear standout in this line-up. (JH)

  • 90p

The 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc showed beautifully, with classic sweet melon, lemon, white flower, and honeyed mineral aromas and flavors. Based on mostly Sauvignon Blanc (there's a splash of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris) brought up in roughly equal parts new and used French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, has beautiful concentration, and a clean, lengthy finish. It's a classic, elegant white from this team.
Barrel Sample: 94-96

  • 96p

Smith Haut Lafitte white – 90% Sauvignon Blanc + 5% Sauvignon Gris + 5% Semillon, 50% new oak. Fat and creamy with excellent acidity. Lot of green apples, acacia flower and pear. Great complexity and multi-faceted. Fabulous effort. 96-97p.

  • 97p

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a perfumed bouquet with citrus lemon, red apples, yellow plum and jasmine bursting from the glass. The oak here is wonderfully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with a perfect bead of acidity. It is not the most complex white Smith Haut Lafitte that I have tasted, yet it is full of tension with subtle spicy notes of ginger and lemongrass that enliven the persistent finish. There is a brightness and sophistication to this wine that is very persuasive. Superb. Tasted twice.

94-96points

  • 96p

Bright yellow colour with green hue. Excellent nose with aroma reminiscent of ripe pear, juicy grapefruit, hints of tangerine peel, cape gooseberries and hints of passion fruit in the background backed by elegant yet restrained toasting aroma and mild spices. On the palate very expressive with crisp acidity, almost salty minerality, savoury character and excellent tension. A wine with great freshness and convincing depth and length, multilayered character with astonishing elegance and persistence. (Tasted on march 20, 2020)

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Martillac, Bordeaux

Other wines from this producer

Château Cantelys

Château Cantelys blanc

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

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

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