Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan blanc 2021

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!

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

While the timid straw-yellow color reflects the difficulty of the vintage, the bouquet, which is more expressive with lovely notes of white flowers, lemon, peach, almond, and toast, shows that this obstacle has been successfully overcome. This impression is confirmed by a palate that is as broad as it is long, stimulated and extended by a very nice freshness. 2025–2033

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.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

Barrel sample. Fresh and crisp, yet intense and ripe in texture, this wine is the star of the white wines from this vintage. It is tight, with minerality and acidity. Pink grapefruit and a dynamic texture reveal its concentration. This will be a great wine from a great white wine vintage.

James Suckling

About wine:

This wine has great depth and power, with complex notes of flint, oyster shell, white pepper, dried mango, lemon, papaya, apricot kernel, and chalk. Medium-bodied to full-bodied. Bright, yet creamy. It is so long and concentrated. Wait until you see... 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris. Organically grown grapes.

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is beautifully elegant and complex, full of elegance and classicism, offering a lovely multi-layered intensity. It reveals notes of lemon, tart green apple, and a hint of zest, combined with touches of crisp berries and a subtle hint of fresh oak and menthol. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, freshness, good definition, a beautiful breadth of aromatics, delicious finesse, a tangy structure, a lovely delicate/fine/airy texture, energy, purity, and a slightly crystalline aspect. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy green apple, lemon and, more subtly, yuzu, combined with hints of exotic berries, a subtle hint of fresh pineapple, fresh flowers, a discreet hint of tart mandarin, a subtle hint of toast and almond, a discreet hint of flint, fresh mirabelle plum, verbena, physalis, a subtle hint of smoke and vanilla. Good length. A discreet hint of pleasant bitterness on the finish/persistence.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About wine:

Green apples, pineapple, flowers, vanilla, lemon mousse, and orange blossom fill the nose. Energetic, crisp, fresh, clean, and pure, it offers a fabulous explosion on the palate thanks to all the layers of sweet yet vibrant fruit. A touch of peppery spice on the finish adds another dimension. Drink between 2023 and 2035.

Tastingbook - Markus Del Monego

About wine:

Bright yellow with green highlights. Expressive and complex nose of ripe fruit, juicy pear, sweet peach, grapefruit zest, candied lemon peel, notes of basil and aromatic herbs, vanilla and sweet spices, with very subtle oak in the background. On the palate, excellent structure and depth, a great wine with enormous length, reminiscent of the flavor on the nose.