Le Petit Smith Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan rouge 2019 - Second vin

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:

On the nose, green bell pepper, eucalyptus, dark chocolate, cherry and blackcurrant, so much aromatic intensity. The impact is immediate on the palate, with heavy, ample, mouth-coating tannins that lend structure and grip to the sweet raspberry and red cherry flavors. The juicy core is offset by woody spice notes that linger on the finish. This wine needs more time, but has excellent vivacity and vitality, and is very representative of the vintage and terroir. 2026-2046

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.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Barrel sample. As one of two second wines from this organic estate, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this wine. It shows structured blackcurrant fruit and a fine line of pure acidity. The structure, though present, is open and integrated, which means the wine will age well in the medium term.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

The 2019 Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is fabulous. Rich, powerful and vibrant, it packs a real punch. Readers will find it hard to tear themselves away from this little gem. Black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, mocha and dried herbs develop as this effusive, generous wine reveals its racy, seductive personality. I loved this wine. 2027-2029

James Suckling

About the wine:

Spices like clove and white pepper, violets and black fruit lead to a full body with firm, chewy tannins and a polished but intense finish. Open tannins. A note of ash. Try after 2027.

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

Dark, intense, beautiful color. Intense, fine, fruity nose, with a hint of violets already perceived in the 2020 vintage. Minute on the entry, delicate and melting in the middle, with brightness in the taste, the wine finishes long and even deep, just a touch firmer than 2020. Wait for it. This vintage is becoming an Outsider.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fruity, elegant and discreetly tight, offering depth, a certain darkness and power. The wine benefits from decanting. Notes of wild blackberry, full-bodied blackcurrant and, to a lesser extent, raspberry are combined with hints of morello cherry, minty licorice, violet and a subtle hint of nutmeg. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral, elegant and offers lovely definition, pulpy fruit (quite ripe but fresh at the same time), a lovely acidic structure, roundness, finesse, gourmandise, volume, fullness and a certain tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of crushed strawberry, fleshy/juicy blackcurrant and, more lightly, violet, combined with hints of morello cherry, bright red berries, a touch of fresh/juicy plum, chocolate, blueberry, and a subtle hint of menthol/badian, toasted almond. Smooth, elegant tannins. Good length. Lovely juiciness and greediness. A lovely, pulpy, gourmand and elegant wine. Some softness on the finish/persistence.