Bordeaux, France
Completely devoted and enthusiastic. This negociant firm offers wine professionals in France and abroad the finest wines of Bordeaux: premiers crus, classified growths and leading wines from all major appellations.
They are proud to say that the Vintage Company has become a major player on the Bordeaux marketplace. Their dynamic young team is open to the world and upholds values such as ethical conduct at all times, striving for long term goals, and complete honesty.
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
| SKU | 144887 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Type | Red |
| Varietal | Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot |
| Listing | Speculative |
| Case Config. | 3x750ml |
| Available In | BC MB |
Colour
Deep ruby purple.
Aroma
Sweet floral and mint, with black-cherry and bitter-chocolate.
Flavour
Boysenberry and blueberry compote fruit flavours that are entwined with alluring roasted apple wood, melted liquorice and warm fruitcake notes.
Food Pairing
Prime rib roast, filet mignon and rack of lamb.
More Info
The style of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte's red wine is very classic, with a beautiful expression of the terroir of Günzian Gravel which gives unique smoky notes. They pursue elegance and structure, freshness and complexity, balance and richness. The 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.
Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Feb/2018
2017 -
"This vintage is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, matured in 65% new oak barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple, the 2015 Smith Haut Lafitte has a totally dazzling nose of exotic spices—star anise, fenugreek and Sichuan pepper—over a core of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, plum preserves, violets and earthy wafts of truffles, moss, tilled black soil and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced and packing a lot of flavor into a relatively modest package, it fills the mouth with spice and herb-laced black and blue fruit layers, supported by very ripe, very finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. This is already a show-stopping, heart-pounding beauty, but should also age incredibly!"
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Feb/2019
2016 -
"Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and matured in 60% new oak for 18 months, the 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very deep garnet-purple color, opening with sensuous scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie, star anise and fragrant lilacs with hints of chocolate box, cigar box and pencil lead plus wafts of truffles and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive, it completely fills the palate with perfumed black berry preserves and superbly plush tannins, finishing epically long and beautifully layered."
Wine Spectator, Mar/2019
2016 -
"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. 8,333 cases made"
James Suckling, Nov/2018
2015 -
#50 TOP 100 WINES OF 2018 "The currants and blackberries on the nose are very impressive with wet-earth and lavender undertones. Full body and super-integrated tannins that melt into the wine. The quality of the tannins is incredible with fantastic length and mouthfeel. So much concentration and balance at the same time. Such beauty. From biodynamic grapes. This is the greatest wine ever from here. Drink in 2022."
Wine Enthusiast, Apr/2017
2014 -
"Dense and beautifully ripe, this is a rounded rich wine. It focuses on the tropical yellow-fruit spectrum. That gives a full wine with wood-spice hints and just the right amount of citrus acidity to give it a lift. Drink this finely structured wine from 2023."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Mar/2017
2014 -
"The 2014 Smith-Haut-Lafitte has a fragrant mulberry and strawberry scented bouquet with cedar and subtle undergrowth scents emerging with time. There is something almost Musigny-like here (written as a complement incidentallywhy not be compared to the greatest Burgundy Grand Cru?). The palate is medium-bodied with a soft and mellow opening. Quite spicy in the mouth with leather-tinged fruit on the open and inviting finish, there is something very approachable about this Smith-Haut-Lafitte, though like the 2014 Pape-Clement, it contains the substance to drink well over 10-15 years."
Wine Spectator, Mar/2017
2014 -
"This has a generous feel, with ripe fig, boysenberry and blueberry compote fruit flavors that are entwined with alluring roasted apple wood, melted licorice and warm fruitcake notes. The broad, mouthcoating finish has a terrific graphite underpinning to stay honest. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,000 cases made."
James Suckling, Feb/2017
2014 -
"A big black-cherry and bitter-chocolate nose leads into a rich, concentrated palate, where the fruit easily holds sway over the powerful, dry tannins. It's these that drive everything along right through to the assertive, slightly earthy finish; impressive long-term stuff! Try in 2021."
Decanter Magazine, Apr/2015
2014 -
"They have so nailed the 'full extraction without making it obvious' trick at this property. Clearly high oak and firm tannins but rich, enrobed, black coffee and rich damson fruit, will age well, get really fine tannic structure, but with the slightly glamorous house style, the Mouton of Pessac-Leognan. Lovely. The vibrancy and integrity of the fruit from their biodynamic/organic work in the vineyard is very clear. Drink: 2024-2040"
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Apr/2015
2014 -
"The 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte is quite supple and textured in the glass, with lovely understated richness and impeccable overall balance. The least expressive of the 2014s I tasted at the estate, the Grand Vin is all finesse. Silky tannins and distinctly red-hued fruit are two of the signatures in an exceptionally polished wine endowed with fabulous overall balance. Sweet floral and mint notes add striking aromatic lift. Quite simply, although the 2014 is magnificent, it is also far from obvious in style. This is about as refined a 2014 as I came across during the two weeks I spent in Bordeaux. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot."