Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan rouge 2019 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Martillac’s flagship estate, renowned for the quality of its facilities and its commitment to wine tourism, featuring the superb Sources de Caudalie complex (a 5-star hotel-spa and the two-Michelin-starred restaurant La Grand’Vigne), Smith Haut-Lafitte is also a pioneering vineyard in its category for its viticultural philosophy, which Daniel Cathiard describes as “bio-precision,” with the goal of combining the best of nature with the best of science. Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who acquired the estate in 1991, can be proud of the work accomplished across the 78 hectares of vineyards. Respect for the terroir, precision in winemaking, an integrated cooperage, and dynamic communication: in just a quarter of a century, the Cathiards have firmly established themselves in the legend of Bordeaux! The wines have found their true personality: gone are the days of excessive oak; they are now racy, perfectly expressing their terroir and brimming with energy. Hauts-de-Smith and Le-Petit-Haut-de-Smith receive the same care as the grand vin, and it shows!

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

With a beautiful, deep, and crystal-clear dark ruby color, the wine promises a fine concentration. On the nose, generous notes of ripe black fruit unfold. This fruit is complemented by a subtle mineral touch on the palate, which is as broad as it is long, dense, and robust, supported by vigorous, elegant tannins.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

The Cathiards are a success story in the French wine industry. After purchasing the estate in 1990, they shifted its focus toward quality—both in the vineyard and in the cellar—and positioned it as a high-end brand, notably by establishing a wine therapy center on the premises. Like an increasing number of châteaux, Smith Haut-Lafitte has adopted a "bio-organic" approach: using organic anti-botrytis treatments, practicing mass selection, plowing with horses, and making compost...

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

What a journey this estate has been on since 1990, the year Florence and Daniel Cathiard took it over! Starting with a Cru Classé in ruins and a vineyard that was virtually abandoned, these two new winemakers—he trained in the retail sector and she in communications—have built a name for themselves that carries real weight. First, they set out to produce a wine that undoubtedly ranks among the elite of Bordeaux production, and then to make Smith Haut-Lafitte an essential stop on any wine tourism itinerary. While the wines were at times a bit too ripe and oaky in their early days, their style has greatly refined over the past decade. The texture of the reds, the controlled extraction with more delicate tannins, result in wines that fit into a more contemporary, less ostentatious style. The whites have also followed this trend, with the influence of aging being much less pronounced in recent vintages. The success continues unabated: Smith Haut-Lafitte wines are enjoying international acclaim and experiencing strong price growth.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Rich in black fruit flavors with a structure that provides a solid foundation. Acidity and notes of blackberries and black coffee, with a core of refined density. This wine will age well and is best enjoyed starting in 2026. Organic and biodynamic.

James Suckling

About the wine:

RANKED 4TH OUT OF 100 – BEST WINES OF THE WORLD TASTED IN 2022. Intense notes of blackberry and graphite rise from the glass, along with dried violet, ink, and a hint of asphalt. Full-bodied, with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and draw you deep into the wine. A finish of pencil lead and blackcurrant. Tight structure with a cashmere-like texture. A complete, thought-provoking wine. Best enjoyed after 2028 and beyond.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Reminiscent of the 2009 vintage, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte offers a rich and powerful style with aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, and black raspberry, along with notes of chalky minerality, smoky earth, tobacco, and pencil lead. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder Petit Verdot, this rich and velvety beauty possesses tremendous concentration, soft tannins, and the elegance and finesse characteristic of the vintage. It is one of the most concentrated and powerful wines of the vintage. It requires 4 to 5 years of bottle aging (or proper decanting) and will continue to evolve for over 30 years if stored properly. We cannot praise enough what owners Daniel and Florence Cathiard, along with winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

An opulent nose that draws you in irresistibly, with notes of dark chocolate ganache, cherry, Ente plum, and elderflower. A breathtaking palate of black fruits, silky and velvety, feline and smooth, that makes you want to curl up in an armchair by the fire. Immense body and tannins as fine as a ribbon give it unparalleled presence and brilliance, while the finish is long and lingering.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

What color and depth! The bouquet is intense yet subtle. It reveals floral nuances and notes of licorice wood, followed by a hint of flint. Charming on the palate, the wine features smooth yet firm tannins and a refreshing liveliness. It has body and, above all, a beautiful balance. A powerful and inviting wine.  2026–2044

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fresh, complex, and elegant, with lovely texture, nice ripeness, and a certain creaminess. It features notes of Boysenberry, creamy blackcurrant, and hints of juicy strawberry, combined with subtle hints of tart/crushed raspberry, as well as delicate notes of blueberry, lily, salty gravel, and subtle hints of pepper. The palate is luscious, balanced, elegant, and well-structured, offering freshness, richness, lovely definition, a tangy backbone, minerality, restraint, a nice volume and roundness, a taut quality, and a well-balanced creaminess. A lovely, powerful structure, yet fully controlled and restrained. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of crushed blackberry, pulpy/juicy/fresh plum, and more subtly, raspberry, combined with hints of fleshy strawberry, chocolate, toasted almond, and toast, as well as subtle hints of star anise, pepper, discreet hints of caramelization in the background, and an imperceptible hint of violet. The tannins are elegant, heady, and refined. Beautiful work on the bitter notes. A subtle hint of pleasant cocoa bitterness and toasted notes lingers on the finish.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

With an almost opaque color, the nose captures your attention from the very first swirl and sniff, thanks to notes of blackberry, smoke, black cherry, espresso, damp earth, cocoa, and flowers. On the palate, the wine is already expressive. Voluptuous, seductive, silky, fresh, and rich, layers of fruit coat your palate, leaving you with a sensual finish filled with waves of dark red fruit that linger and expand. The wine is so good right now, we drank the bottle with dinner knowing that over the next 2–3 decades, it will only get better. Drink between 2025 and 2055.