Château Smith Haut-Lafitte blanc 2016 - Grand Cru Classé de Graves
Bordeaux
White
Sold individually
Drink or Keep
96/100
Robert Parker
-
97/100
James Suckling
-
17,5/20
Bettane & Desseauve
-
19,5/20
Le Figaro
"Fabulous aromas of white peach pie, lemon, grapefruit and cream. Complex. Full-bodied, dense and linear. Bright, creamy texture. Superb grace and complexity." (James Suckling) A treasure. Delivery in wooden case for any order of 12 bottles of this wine (excluding Point Relais delivery) Please note, quantities are very limited.
Features
Estate
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Cuvée
Grand Cru Classé de Graves
Vintage
2016
Designation
Pessac-Léognan
Region
Bordeaux
Grape varieties
90% Sauvignon blanc, 5% Sauvignon gris, 5% Sémillon
Terroirs
Gunzian gravel for natural soil drainage
Viticulture
Cultivation according to biodynamic principles
Harvest
Manual in micro crates
Winemaking
Pressed inert (without oxygen to preserve the aromatic potential of the grapes), fermentation takes place in French oak barrels (50% new wood) after static cold settling.
Breeding
12 months on lees with stirring in barrels (50% new and 50% previously used for wine) made in our integrated cooperage.
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Bright straw yellow
Nose
Great aromatic expression dominated by citrus and white-fleshed fruit: lemon, pink grapefruit, vine peach, fresh mango...In the second level, we perceive more delicate notes of pear, acacia flowers, lime blossom, and even small spicy and smoky notes. Beautiful aromatic complexity
Mouth
Taut with a clean attack, then unctuous with good substance and concentration. We find the great balance of Smith Haut Lafitte white wines, where richness and acidity play a perfect balance, elegantly combining smoothness and a fresh finish. The finish is very beautiful, very long, very fresh, complex and saline, supported by a great aromatic complexity of white fruit, citrus, flowers, spices and flint....
Serve
AT 10-12°C
Open
1 hour before
Drink before
2026
Food and wine pairing
À déguster sur un tartare de poisson, un turbot sauce mousseline, un saumon grillé béarnaise, un homard à la vanille...<br/>
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Pessac-Léognan
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated 17.5/20 (Reference wine)
Domaine rated (2020 guide) 4*Stars (Top-quality producers, the glories of French winegrowing)
About the wine:
Delicately fruity, mineral and spicy on the nose, with hints of boxwood and acacia honey. Voluptuous on the palate, with fatness, flavor, great fruit and a lively finish that balances the whole. Great persistence.
About the domain :
A flagship property in Martillac for the quality of its facilities and its openness to wine tourism with the superb Sources de Caudalie establishment (5-star hotel-spa and 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, 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, precise 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: no more woody excesses, 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 des Vins Gault & Millau
Domain rated 5*Stars (Outstanding production)
About the domain :
The Cathiards are a success story in the French wine industry. After buying the estate in 1990, they turned it towards a quality approach, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and established it as a top-of-the-range business - including the creation of a vinotherapy center. Like a growing number of châteaux, Smith Haut-Lafitte has adopted a "bio-organic" approach, using organic anti-botrytis agents, massal selections, horse-drawn ploughing, composting...
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated (2018 guide) 96/100 (Extraordinary wine)
Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
Smith Haut Lafitte 2016 Blanc is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Sémillon aged in 50% new oak. It reveals gregarious notes of pineapple and green guava giving way to scents of fresh grapefruit and mouthwatering green apples, as well as touches of orange blossom, crushed rocks and peaches drizzled with honey. Medium- to full-bodied with a gorgeous satin texture, the palate is full of tropical and citrus flavors, with a long, deliciously savory finish.
About the domain :
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Domaine rated (2020 guide) 2*Stars (These great estates, often blessed with fabulous terroirs, are must-haves which, because of their consistency and the excellence of their production, must be included in the cellars of discerning wine lovers).
About the domain :
This estate has come a long way since Florence and Daniel Cathiard bought it in 1990. From a ruined cru classé and a virtually abandoned vineyard, these two neo-winegrowers, trained in the school of supermarket distribution in the case of the former and in communications in the case of the latter, have made a name for themselves. Firstly, to produce a wine that is undoubtedly among the elite of Bordeaux production, and secondly, to make Smith Haut-Lafitte an essential stopover for wine tourism. If the wines were at first a little too mature and woody, their style has been greatly refined over the last ten years. The texture of the reds, the measure of extractions and the more delicate tannic masses are all part of a more contemporary, less demonstrative taste. The whites have also followed this trend, with the influence of ageing much less pronounced in recent vintages. Smith Haut-Lafitte wines are enjoying international success and strong price growth.
James Suckling
Wine rated (2019 guide) 97/100
About the wine:
Fabulous aromas of white peach pie, lemon, grapefruit and cream. Complex. Full-bodied, dense and linear. Bright, creamy texture. Superb grace and complexity.
Le Figaro vins
Wine rated (guide 2017) 19,5/ 20
About the wine:
Complex nose, yellow fruit, citrus, hints of iodine, quince paste, very long, honeyed, camphorated, saline, lemony finish, lots of substance.
Customer reviews
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