x
  • Country ranking ?

    1 034
  • Producer ranking ?

    27
  • Decanting time

    5h
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Pork Tenderloin Wrapped with Pancetta

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The Story

The result of rigorous selection at each stage of production, in both the vineyard and the winery, this great, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon wine is typical of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. Structured and tannic but with all the elegance and refinement of a Grand Cru Classé, with time it develops a delicate and complex bouquet.

The wines have considerable ageing potential and are exceptionally long-lived. Certain vintages (1921, 1929, 1...

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Wine Information

Main characteristics of the vintage 21011

Snow, drought, heat waves, hail... the weather did not spare the Médoc vineyards for 2011!
This year more than ever, the vintners got closer to their environment which forced them to adapt their techniques specifically to the weather conditions.
In the vineyard, the work was difficult and intense; repeated efforts and full attention were required for the grapes to ripe.
In the cellar, the vinifi...

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Vintage 2011

The 2011 vintage is not easy to handle.

Smith Haut Lafitte not only makes great white and red wine from Bordeaux in Pessac Léognan, they are also at the cutting edge of technology. They were one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using optical sorting, which came in handy with the difficult 2011 Bordeaux harvest. Fabien Teitgen, long-time general manager, joined us for a long detailed conversation about what happened at Smith Hau...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

This is a tannic, chewy Montrose with lots of spice, berry and earth character. Full body, chewy and fruity. Intense tannins.

  • 92p

Here comes the classic stuff from St.Estephe. Really formidable on the nose with blackcurrants and black cherry fruit, strong backbone, well-defined and rich, deep and sophisticated, elegant and with long aftertaste. Excellent wine. From barrel I rated it 91-92p, it improved a lot since then, so 94p now is well-deserved.

  • 94p

A fine and elegant robe, with beautiful intense and dark garnet
The nose, powerful and harmonious, is pleasantly woody. Aerated, it reveals lightly toasted aromas, followed with hints of ripe fruits and liquorice.
The palate is full and soft with tight tannins and a light sweetness.
The after-taste is long and harmonious.

Deep ruby. Deep fruit, vanilla, complex, layered and intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, balanced, tight and long. 95
  • 95p
From a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. 100% of the vines were affected to some extent by the September hail storm. As the hail was mostly small stones, only 2% of the harvest was lost. Yields were low due to the problems caused by sunburn and a lack of water with the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the loss suffered from the hail storm. Deep in color, earth, cedar wood, mineral, clay, crème de cassis scents lead to a full-bodied, concentrated, masculine, tannic, brawny wine filled with ripe cassis and bitter chocolate. 91-93 Pts
  • 93p
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Information

Origin

St. Estephe, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None
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