Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan Red, 750ml, Bordeaux, France
The vines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte are planted in a single block on a Günz gravel plateau in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, producing six different wines.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a Graves Great Growth in both red and white, and our two second wines Les Hauts de Smith and Le Petit Haut Lafitte, also in red and white. Each has its own unique blend and distinctive aromatic profile.
The terroir
Our vineyards have expanded over time to reach 80 hectares in a single block. The owners and technical director live at opposite ends of the estate, which benefits from round-the-clock monitoring, ensuring responsive action in case of poor weather.
In this ocean of vines, we grow seven red and white grape varieties, which we blend to create Château Smith Haut Lafitte wines.
The estate owes its reputation as “the quintessential Graves” to both the smoky notes of its wines and its hilly terroir (Laffite or Lafite in old French), consisting of semi-precious and river stones deposited by the Garonne millions of years ago.
Composed of Günz gravel, Smith Haut Lafitte’s terroir boasts two astonishing features: superb natural drainage forcing the vine roots to sink deep to extract water and mineral salts over six metres below the surface, and a “mirror effect” reflecting the sun’s rays on the gravelly soil for optimum ripening.
Yield: 36hl/ha, prior to selection for the estate’s three wines: Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith and Le Petit Haut Lafitte.
Winemaking: Whole grapes are fermented at 28°C in small wooden vats with extraction by manual punching down.
Aging: 18 months in barrels (60% are new barrels produced in our in-house cooperage), with aging on lees. After being racked a single time, wine is aged according to its profile.
Age of vines: 48 years old
Country of Origin:
France
Region / Appelation / Cru:
Bordeaux / Graves / Pessac-Leognan
Certification:
AOC (Appellation D'Origine Controlee). Grand Cru Classe
Grape Varieties:
2019 Vintage Blend: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon 36% Merlot 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot
2020 Vintage Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot
2021 Vintage Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon 33% Merlot 3% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot
2022 Vintage Blend:64% Cabernet Sauvignon 32% Merlot 3% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot
Alcohol:
14.5%
Producer:
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
Ratings:
Vintage 2019:
James Suckling: 99pts:
Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine.
by James Suckling, JS, 2022.
Wine Enthusiast: 98pts:
Rich in black fruits with a structure that acts as a support. Acidity and blackberry flavors with hints of black coffee and a core of denseness that is very fine. The wine will age well, drink from 2026. Organic and biodynamic.
by Wine Enthusiast, RV, 2022.
Vinous Media: 97pts:
The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte blossoms immediately on the nose of seductive blackberry, black olive and Bing cherries, perhaps a little more floral than when I tasted it from barrel, and there is a nearly Burgundy-like purity. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, almost creamy entry. This is very harmonious, elegant and poised, leading to a mineral-driven finish. A gorgeous, seductive Smith Haut Lafitte that will give three or four decades of drinking pleasure.
by Vinous Media, NM, 2021.
Wine Advocate: 96pts:
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with a complex bouquet of dark berries, cassis, forest floor, pencil shavings, licorice and spices. Full-bodied, broad and velvety, it's layered and elegantly muscular, underpinned by rich structuring tannins and lively acids, and it concludes with a long, expansive finish. This is another estate where the viticultural and stylistic evolutions of the last decade have delivered a beautifully balanced, harmonious 2019.
by Wine Advocate, WK, 2022.
Wines Spectator: 95pts:
A broad, rich and caressing wine, with a lovely display of cassis, plum puree and blackberry pate de fruit notes. There's form thanks to a buried alder note, along with sweet tobacco and iron accents on the finish. A strong showing. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
by Wine Spectator, JM, 2022.
Vintage 2020
Jeb Dunnuck: 100pts:
Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture.
by Jeb Dunnuck, JD, 2023.
James Suckling: 99pts:
Extremely fresh and deep in the nose with raspberry and blackcurrant character, as well as stone, fresh green tobacco and ink. Full-bodied with a dense center palate and gorgeous fine yet steely tannins. It calms down at the end with berries, citrus and some lavender. Salty at the end. Very minerally. Flinty. From organically grown grapes. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
by James Suckling, JS, 2023.
Wine Enthusiast: 97pts;
This is a very fine wine, packed with tannins that are rich and suspended in the wine with its smoky edge and ripe blackberry fruits. The wine is direct in its fine, fragrant freshness and in its texture that gives power and concentration.
by Wine Enthusiast, RV, 2021
Wines Spectator: 95pts
Exotic and lush in feel, with well-steeped plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors rolling through, scored with hints of espresso crema, dark tobacco and black licorice along the way. Very polished in feel, but with a late flicker of savory and a subtle tug of earth to keep this honest in the end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
by Wine Spectator, JM, 2022.
Wine Advocate: 95pts;:
The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is more structured and introverted than its 2019 predecessor, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, violets and minty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its velvety attack segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by rich, generously extracted tannins that assert themselves on the long, youthfully firm finish. This is a strong effort that's true to the house style and which will reward a little patience.
by Wine Advocate, WK, 2023.
Vintage 2021:
James Suckling: 96pts
This is extremely perfumed, with violets, lavender, forest fruit and beeswax. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy, round tannins. It's delicious already with a lovely balance, showing dark fruit, meat and chocolate with a hint of smoke. Straight and driven, it has a long finish for the vintage. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes.
by James Suckling, JS, 2024.
Vinous Media: 96pts;
The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is an engaging, dynamic wine. Gravel, menthol, licorice, mocha and spice are all beautifully delineated. A wine of energy and focus, the 2021 is absolutely enthralling- medium in body, refined and super-impressive.
by Vinous Media, AG, 2024.
Wine Advocate: 95pts;
The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot reveals a deep, complex bouquet of dark berries, spices, licorice, pencil lead and flowers intertwined with hints of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it's suave and concentrated, with velvety, elegant tannins and a refined, penetrating finish.
by Wine Advocate, YC, 2024.
Vintage 2022:
James Suckling: 98pts;
The vivid fruit character here is so impressive for this hot and dry vintage. It's medium- to full-bodied, showing gorgeous crushed grapes and dark berries. With density, clarity and beauty, it really speaks of great cabernet sauvignon. The tannins are integrated and go long, taking you deep and complete on the palate. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
by James Suckling, JS, 2025
Vinous Media: 97+pts;
The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte is silky, elegant and nuanced. It's all there. A wine of precision and class, the 2022 is so impressive. Refined, supple tannins wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, espresso and mocha. I find the 2022 a bit buttoned up today, but that is probably a very good thing for its long-term prospects. I look forward to seeing it age.
by Vinous Media, AG, 2025
Wine Advocate: 96+pts;
With a somber, slightly introverted character characterized by notes of licorice, gentian, spices and dark wild berries, the 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte possesses a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and dense palate with a fleshy core of fruit and a generously extracted structure with an assertive tannic frame that requires time to mellow. Concluding with a long, dense and gentian-inflected finish, it needs time to digest its elevage and should gain harmony and balance with some time in the cellar.
by Wine Advocate, YC, 2025.
Wine Enthusiast: 97pts:
The wine's richness is impressive. Ripe black fruits show well with acidity and a balance between the fruit and the serious structure. It is a wine that shows great fruit now but its tannins mean it will age.
Food Pairing: