x
  • Country ranking ?

    1 014
  • Producer ranking ?

    38
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    from 2018
  • Food Pairing

    Pancetta-Wrapped Roasted Turkey

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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Château Smith Haut Lafitte Red 2012 offers a beautiful dark bright red colour with blue hue. The already expressive nose reveals very fresh notes of red fruits (strawberry, cherry) with a hint of smoke. Once aerated, the nose complexity appears with delicate notes of spices (star anise, liquorice, cinnamon), of red fruits as well as beautiful and elegant flower notes. Then the nose stretches out with terroir aromas of flint stone and fireplace...

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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

The 2012 Bordeaux vintage report - Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Tb:What are your early thoughts on the 2012 Smith Haut Lafitte wines?

Fabien Teitgen “I’m optimistic. The first lots of the Merlot were a real surprise! The wine has good texture, ripe fruit and freshness. 2012 Smith Haut Lafitte is a true Bordeaux wine.”

Tb:With that in mind, does 2012 Smith Haut Lafitte remind you of any previous Bordeaux vintage?

Fabien Teitgen “It’s ...

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Vintage 2012

The 2012 Bordeaux vintage report.

The 2012 Bordeaux vintage is a year for vineyard management and workers. Call it a winemakers vintage, or change your tune and call it vineyard managers vintage. Either descriptor works perfectly. Wineries with the financial capacity to take the necessary measures in the vineyards during the season, coupled with the willingness to severely downgrade unripe grapes, will produce the best wines. Even then, it ...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Light and Purple

ending

Long, Spicy and Alcoholic

flavors

Smoky and Spice

nose

Seductive and Charming

taste

High in Acidity, High alcohol content, High tannin and Balanced

Verdict

Excellent

Written Notes

2012 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot) Intense red fruit like raspberry, red berries, red plum at the beginning. Then turns to black plum with a hint of pencil sharpen, tobacco leaves, green bell pepper, some touches of herbaceous, black pepper, sweet spices. A bit sleeping at the beginning of tasting after almost 2 hours of breathing, yet it was open after extra 2 hours. Medium to full bodied with medium-long length, lots of fresh red fruit acidity, round and velvet tannin. It was more expressive after opening than 2011 vintage and comparatively more feminine
  • 93p
Ruby. Dark fruits, blueberries and vanilla, light minerals nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, blueberries, vanilla, slightly raw at this stage, needs decanting, long. 91
  • 91p
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Information

Origin

Martillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None

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

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Red 2012 offers a beautiful dark bright red colour with blue hue. The already expressive nose reveals very fresh notes of red fruits (strawberry, cherry) with a hint of smoke. Once aerated, the nose complexity appears with delicate notes of spices (star anise, liquorice, cinnamon), of red fruits as well as beautiful and elegant flower notes. Then the nose stretches out with terroir aromas of flint stone and fireplace. The attack in mouth is fresh and balanced with a fleshy and unctuous texture. The wine is a subtle balance between maturity and freshness: the maturity from the concentration, the impressive unctuosity and sugarity and the beautiful structure of long and classy tannins; the freshness from the tension, the dynamism and the aroma sparkle.

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