x
  • Country ranking ?

    871
  • Producer ranking ?

    30
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Beef

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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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 silkiest tannins, unveils after proper aging its full potential for years long.
The other grapes variety of our vineyard, the Merlot, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot add to the Cabernet Sauvignon their own aromas and participate in the typical harmony of our Cru Classé de Graves.

Which vintage of your Château red wine do you prefer?

Such as the whites, it is very difficult to pick a vintage among others, as every occasion and every meal will enlighten a specific vintage.
In my opinion, our 2000 red is a wine I would not doubt in comparing with the greatest reds from both banks. It has everything, except maybe some more years…
Another vintage we particularly cherish is the 2003, because despite the heatwave that affected the region, our early terroir allows us to harvest grapes at perfect maturity before they “cook” over the sun. Therefore we have a charming wine, whose freshness of aromas trouble the tasters at every blind tasting.
However I must say that we reached the zenith of our great reds with two legendary vintages: 2009 and 2010, though these two vintages have very little in common! 2009, my favorite, is powerful, charming, round and very “charismatic”… 2010, my husband’s favorite, is a beautiful classic, that expresses perfectly our Gravel terroir, with notes of black fruits, mineral finish and incredible Caudalies (the unit that measures length of wine flavors in mouth).

 

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Vintage 2005

Bordeaux Vintage Report 2005 is a truly fantastic vintage with great quality across the board on both the Left and Right Banks.

The 2005 vintage became the most anticipated since 2000. The early market was heated and prices skyrocketed. The cold winter delayed bud break before the warm, dunny spring broke through. Even the vegetative growth and flowering gave a perfect start to the vintage. The summer turned out to be one of the driest ever, avoiding disaster, as the weather remained reasonably warm and not excessively hot like in 2003. The soil once again becomes a decisive quality factor. Gravelly areas, such as Graves, were hardest hit once again. In other words, you should expect quality wines.

For a short-term perspective, in the next two years, an excellent quantity of mature Bordeaux red wines will be available on the market. The 2004, 2002, 1999, 1994, 1992 and 1988 vintages offer a wide selection of wines that are pleasant to consume immediately or at most to store for a short period.

As investments, the best vintages of the last 35 years are 2018, 2016, 2010, 2009 ,2003, 1996, 1989, and 1982. The safest long-term investments are Latour, La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, Le Pin Lafite and Pétrus.

Over the past 35 years, Bordeaux has experienced a substantial change in winemaking. Modern equipment and developing know-how have guaranteed more uniform quality. It appears that the next challenge will be dealing with extreme climates, including slow global warming, which has already given hints of its effects also in Bordeaux. It is impossible to say how Bordeaux wines will evolve over the next 35 years. We can only hope that their most characteristic trait, the elegant aristocratic nature underlined by a unique terroir, will never disappear.

 

 

Bordeaux Vintage Report 2005 est un millésime vraiment fantastique avec une grande qualité à tous les niveaux sur la rive gauche et la rive droite.

Le millésime 2005 est devenu le plus attendu depuis 2000. Le marché des primeurs a été chauffé et les prix ont grimpé en flèche. L’hiver froid a retardé le débourrement avant que le printemps chaud et dunny ne se brise. Même la croissance végétative et la floraison ont donné un début parfait au millésime. L’été s’est avéré être l’un des plus secs de tous les temps, évitant la catastrophe, car le temps est resté raisonnablement chaud et non excessivement chaud comme en 2003. Le sol redevient un facteur de qualité décisif. Les zones graveleuses, telles que Graves, ont été les plus touchées une fois de plus. En d’autres termes, il faut s’attendre à des vins de qualité.

Pour une perspective à court terme, dans les deux prochaines années, une excellente quantité de vins rouges de Bordeaux mûrs sera disponible sur le marché. Les millésimes 2004, 2002, 1999, 1994, 1992 et 1988 offrent une large sélection de vins agréables à consommer immédiatement ou tout au plus à stocker pendant une courte période.

En tant qu’investissements, les meilleurs millésimes des 35 dernières années sont 2003, 1996, 1989, 1986 et 1982. Les investissements à long terme les plus sûrs sont Latour, La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, Le Pin et Pétrus.

Au cours des 35 dernières années, Bordeaux a connu un changement substantiel dans la vinification. Des équipements modernes et un savoir-faire en développement ont garanti une qualité plus uniforme. Il semble que le prochain défi sera de gérer les climats extrêmes, y compris le réchauffement climatique lent, qui a déjà donné des indices de ses effets également à Bordeaux. Il est impossible de dire comment les vins de Bordeaux vont évoluer dans les 35 prochaines années. Nous ne pouvons qu’espérer que leur trait le plus caractéristique, l’élégante nature aristocratique soulignée par un terroir unique, ne disparaîtra jamais.

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Information

Origin

Martillac, Bordeaux

Other wines from this producer

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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

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