Château Smith Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan rouge 2020 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

A flagship property in Martillac thanks to the quality of its facilities and its openness to wine tourism with the superb Les Sources de Caudalie establishment (a five-star hotel and spa with a two-Michelin-star restaurant, La Grand’Vigne), Smith Haut-Lafitte is also a pioneer in its category for its viticulture philosophy, which Daniel Cathiard describes as bio-precision, the aim being to combine the best of nature with the best of science. Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who acquired the property in 1991, can be proud of the work accomplished on the 78 hectares of vineyards. Respect for the terroir, precision in winemaking, integrated cooperage, dynamic communication: in just a quarter of a century, the Cathiards have become part of the Bordeaux legend! The wines have found their true personality: gone are the excesses of oak, they are now racy, perfectly expressing their terroir and bursting with energy. Hauts-de-Smith and Le-Petit-Haut-de-Smith receive the same attention as the grand vin, and it shows!

Decanter

About wine:

In the glass, the wine is a vivid dark purple, but remarkably clear. Aromas of black cherry, plum, blackcurrant, and perfume with blueberries, balsamic notes, and white pepper. Rich, round, eye-catching, and captivating, slightly opulent but also tight, with a soft adherence of limestone and wet stone, lively acidity balanced by strict, spicy fruit with a licorice flavor. You can sense that it is lean, but it is so well defined with clarity and precision. A sleeping giant for now, not yet fully expressing itself, but slowly developing to a long finish. There is something quite seductive about this wine; it is frank, direct, confident, and powerful without a doubt. It will need to be left to age a little before opening, but it is a brilliant thoroughbred. Refined and determined. There is a little magic in this bottle. 2029–2058

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

With its dark, brilliant garnet color, the presentation is all the more impressive when accompanied by a stunningly complex bouquet combining spicy and toasted notes, sandalwood, licorice, and red and black fruits. Supple and fresh on the attack, full-bodied, smooth, very fleshy, backed by exquisitely velvety tannins, the palate stretches out into an incredibly long finish, with spices and fireplace embers. A great, very great, classic in the timeless sense of the word. 2030-2040

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

The Cathiards are a shining example of success in French viticulture. After purchasing the estate in 1990, they focused on quality, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and positioned it as a high-end commercial venture, notably by creating a wine therapy center. Like more and more châteaux, Smith Haut-Lafitte is adopting an "organic" approach: using organic antibotrytis treatments, practicing massal selection, plowing with horses, making compost, etc.

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 bought it! From a classified growth in ruins and a vineyard that had been virtually abandoned, these two new winemakers—he trained in retail distribution and she in communications—have made a name for themselves. First, they produced a wine that is undoubtedly among the elite of Bordeaux production, and then they made Smith Haut-Lafitte an essential stop on any wine tourism itinerary. While the wines were sometimes a little too ripe and oaky in their early days, their style has greatly refined over the past ten years. The texture of the reds and the measured extraction with more delicate tannins have resulted in wines that are more in line with current tastes and less demonstrative. The whites have also followed this trend, with a much less pronounced influence of aging in recent vintages. The success continues: Smith Haut-Lafitte wines are enjoying international success and strong price growth.

James Suckling

About wine:

The nose is extremely fresh and deep, with notes of raspberry and blackcurrant, as well as stone, fresh green tobacco, and ink. The wine is full-bodied, with a dense mid-palate and magnificent fine but firm tannins. It calms down on the finish with berries, citrus, and a hint of lavender. Salty on the finish. Very mineral. Flint. Made from organically grown grapes. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Give it 4 or 5 years to assert itself.

Le Figaro vins

About wine:

A dark, serious, intriguing, striking nose with notes of black fruit, flower pollen, musk, and sandalwood. Pure and chiseled, the palate is extraordinarily beautiful, with very fine black fruit, a vein of hypnotic freshness, and a superb spicy thrill (Sichuan pepper). The finish seems eternal. 2028-2053

Terre de Vins

About wine:

"We tasted grapes that were a delight; the winemaking process was the same. Today, in Bordeaux, only one vintage in five is oceanic, and we no longer thin out the leaves to protect the grapes from the sun," says Fabien Teitgen, managing director. Indeed, even today, the bouquet is enchanting, unfolding peony, blackberry, blackcurrant, graphite, and zan. The generous and ample texture, perfectly mineral, almost chalky, with tight and slender tannins, carries the wine far into the finish. Of course, it is a bottle with undeniable power, one could also say racy, but with supreme balance and great potential.

Vert de Vin

About wine:

A lovely powdery, aromatic, complex nose offering power, finesse, delicacy, and depth. The wine benefits from being decanted. It reveals notes of violet, bright blackcurrant, morello cherry and, more subtly, wild blueberry, combined with hints of red berries, fresh blond tobacco, Cubeb pepper and a discreet touch of cardamom, spices and an almost charcoal-like note. The palate is mineral and fruity, offering deliciousness, a lovely silkiness, depth, and an enveloping richness. Beautiful silky richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy blackberry, crushed wild black berries, camphor, Bourbon vanilla, and subtle hints of toasted hazelnut. The tannins are supple, elegant, and flavorful. Good length. A subtle hint of pleasant bitterness, very appetizing, supple, and subtle.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About wine:

The impressive dark color introduces the equally dark profile of the nose and palate. The wine is characterized by its richness, intensity, length, and presence on the palate, which somehow remains perfectly balanced, with all its layers of blackberries, smoke, espresso, black cherries, licorice, and chocolate. What should be emphasized here is the purity of the fruit, the liveliness, balance, and freshness on the palate, and of course, the length that lasts for over 50 seconds! The finish combines power and elegance, with creamy tannins and a display of sweet black cherries, plums, chocolate, and spices. As I mentioned in my notes, in some years, it felt like we were tasting a wine produced in the cellar. But this is no longer the case for Smith Haut Lafitte, as it is now a wine produced in the vineyard. Drink between 2025 and 2055.