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  • Country ranking ?

    238
  • Producer ranking ?

    9
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2025
  • Food Pairing

    roasted scallops

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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Wine Spectator 98

Quite ripe, with lush waves of cassis, cherry preserve and raspberry puree flavors gliding through in no hurry, but maintaining definition and cut along the way as bramble, tar and melted licorice snap notes slowly emerge throughout. The finish features an intense echo of pastis and sweet tobacco, showing serious latent grip. Best from 2023 through 2038.

V98

Vinous

The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte is flat out stunning....

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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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Vintage 2016

2016 Bordeaux in Review  “A Paradox”

by Andrew Caillard MW

The 2016 Bordeaux vintage will be remembered as one of the great years of the 21st Century. I have not been so excited about the prospects of such young wines since the remarkable back-to-back 2009 and 2010 vintages. At that time China was at the zenith of its extraordinary fine wine ascendency where the very top estates, particularly Chateau Lafite, had become a baksheesh curren...

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Tasting note

color

Medium

ending

Medium and Smooth

flavors

Blackberry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Voluptuous and Tobacco

nose

Closed and Intense

taste

Average in Acidity, Balanced, Youthful, Firm, Full, Fruity and Silky tannins

Verdict

Sophisticated

Written Notes

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016 is a deep, nearly black hue with a wonderfully complex nose combining refined aromas of blackberry, black cherry and raspberry and delicate floral notes and mild spices with touches of star anise, smoke and flint...

On the palate, it is powerful, elegant and undeniably seductive. The attack is balanced with wonderful concentration, density and freshness. Offering fullness, concentration, power, refinement, freshness, complexity and intense aromas of fruit, flowers, spices and smoke, the 2016 vintage of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is a masterpiece.

The blackcurrant and blueberry aromas are lifted and beautiful. Lots of flowers, too, together with some mushroom and dried-flower undertones. Full-bodied with firm and very silky tannins giving a lovely texture. Bright acidity lifts the finish and gives it drive and force. Better after 2025

  • 97p

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
Glamorous crimson with some paleness at the rim. Wonderfully pure nose. A great contrast to the brawnier 2018. Very dry on the end but convincing and balanced. Beautiful freshness. But masses of fine tannins and persistence.

  • 93p

2016 Smith Haut Lafitte - The depth of color is serious. On the nose, there is dark red fruits, licorice, smoke, herbs and espresso bean. The wine is clearly intense, and also lifted, which is very hard to do! The oak is better integrated than in previous vintages and the velvet and silky texture on the palate is a complete turn on. Everything is in balance and harmony here. The finish is seamless. This is going to age quite well.99 Pts

  • 99p

This estate has enjoyed an astonishing ascendancy in the last 15 years. The investment in wine making is extremely impressive. The love and attention to detail is easily seen in a vintage of this calibre. Medium deep colour. Fragrant dark plum, cassis red cherry aromas with herb garden spicy notes. Supple and richly flavoured with inky dark fruits, sinuous velveteen textures, roasted chestnut oak, juicy mid palate richness and fine bitter sweet finish. Lovely volume and acid cut with lacy tannin plume. a really lovely wine. Tasted at the Union des Grand Crus. 97 points

  • 97p

Dark purple red with violet hue and black core. Elegant nose with slightly ethereal character and expressive fruit. Blackcurrants, blackberries, fine toasting aroma, mild spices, hints of smokiness, graphite in the background. On the palate well structured with ripe but firm tannins, fine fruit, blackcurrants, hints of mild spices, an elegant blockbuster with excellent length. 95

  • 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

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