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

Bettane & Desseauve

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!

Decanter

About the wine:

In the glass, the wine is bright dark purple, but with remarkable clarity. Aromas of black cherry, plum, cassis and perfume with blueberry, balsamic touches and white pepper. Rich, round, eye-catching and captivating, slightly opulent but also tight, with a gentle grip of limestone and wet stone, lively acidity balanced by strict, spicy licorice-flavored fruit. You can tell it's lean, but it's so well defined with clarity and precision. A sleeping giant for now, not yet fully expressed, but slowly building to a long finish. There's something utterly seductive about this wine, it's frank, direct, confident and unmistakably powerful. You'll have to wait a little before opening it, but it's a brilliant thoroughbred. Refined and determined. There's a bit of magic in this bottle. 2029 - 2058

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

A brilliant dark garnet color, the presentation is all the more impressive as it is accompanied by a stunningly complex bouquet, combining spicy and toasty notes, sandalwood, licorice, red and black fruits. Supple and fresh on the attack, ample, suave, very fleshy, backed by exquisitely velvety tannins, the palate stretches to an incredibly long finish of spices and fireplace hearth. A great, very great, classic, in the timeless sense of the word. 2030-2040

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

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

About the domain :

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

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

About the 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. Calms on the finish with berries, citrus and a touch of lavender. Salty on the finish. Very mineral. Flinty. 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 the wine:

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

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

"We used to taste grapes that gave us pleasure, and the winemaking process was no different. Today, in Bordeaux, only one in five vintages is oceanic, so we no longer thin out the leaves to protect the bunches from the sun," says Managing Director Fabien Teitgen. In fact, from the outset, the bouquet is an enchantment, unfurling peony, blackberry, blackcurrant, graphite and zan. The generous, full-bodied, mineral, almost chalky texture and tight, slender tannins carry the wine well into the finish. Of course, this is a bottle of undeniable power, one might also say racy, but of sovereign balance and great potential.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

Lovely powdery, aromatic, complex nose offering power, finesse, delicacy and depth. The wine benefits from decanting. Notes of violet, bright blackcurrant, Morello cherry and, more lightly, wild blueberry are combined with hints of red berries, fresh blond tobacco, Cuban pepper and a discreet hint of cardamom, spices and an almost charcoal-like hint. The palate is mineral and fruity, with greediness, silkiness, depth and fatness. 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 discreet hint of good bitterness, lots of palatability, suppleness and subtlety.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

The impressive dark hue 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 blackberry, smoke, espresso, black cherry, licorice, smoke and chocolate. What stands out here is the purity of the fruit, the liveliness, balance and freshness of the palate, and of course, the length, which 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, some years it felt like a wine made in a cellar. But this is no longer the case with Smith Haut Lafitte, as it is now a wine produced in the vineyard. Drink between 2025 and 2055.