2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge, Pessac-Léognan

“Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château 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. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.” (03/2023)

“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.” (03/2023)

“Vivid dark purple in the glass, but a remarkable clarity too. Fragrant black cherries, plums, cassis and perfumed aromas with blueberries, balsamic touches and white pepper. Rich, round, grippy and captivating, slightly plush but also tight, where you get a soft chalky, wet stone grip with lively acidity balanced by strict and spiced liquorice-touched fruit. You feel the leanness here but it's so well defined with clarity and precision. A sleeping giant right now, definitely not yet fully expressing itself but slowly grows to a long finish. There's something so utterly seductive about this wine, it's overt, forward, upfront, confident and powerful no doubt, this will need a while before it should be opened, but it’s a shining thoroughbred. Refined and purposeful. There’s a bit of magic in this bottle. (GH)” (01/2023)

“The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it storms out of the glass with powerful scents of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, and redcurrant preserves, followed by suggestions of cedar chest, charcuterie, cast-iron pan, and black truffles, with a touch of menthol. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit layers offset by mineral and red berry accents, supported by firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy” (03/2023)

“This is a beautiful white wine in its balance and in its elegantly textured fruit and acidity. With richness balanced by the wine's crisp green fruits, there is complexity and depth here that gives the wine great intensity. For long-term aging. (RV)” (04/2024)

“The assemblage here is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, and the élevage was in 60% new oak. The aromatics are distinctly different to the second labels, with perfumed blackcurrant, rosehips, pot pourri and iris petals, with a lightly desiccated layer of dark hedgerow fruits beneath, particularly blackberries, and a touch of liquorice. There is something complex, ethereal and distinctive here. The palate is seamless and sinewy, with a perfectly poised middle, combining polished fruit substance, with a core of powdery and silky tannins, wrapped up in perfumed new oak, black olive, toast and vanilla pod. The palate carries such tightly knit structure, with a long, spiced, oak-wrapped length. There is no denying the potential here; this is a fantastic wine in the making, but it will need a decade or two to show its best.” (12/2022)

“Inky colour, charcoal, slate, cocoa bean, blueberry, espresso, grilled sandalwood, espresso, all delivered slowly but surely with punch and power. Palate-hugging confident tannins, this is a brillant wine that edges slowly through the palate, gathering layers and complexity as it goes. 60% new oak. Harvest September 9 to 30, technical director Fabien Teitgen. 60% new oak. Harvest started on September 9 to 30. As I said En Primeur; this is a masterclass in restrained Pessac glamour.” (12/2022)

“Very dark crimson. Intense, pure black fruit, like small wild berries, and just slightly charry-dark at that moment. Dense, chewy and balanced for the long term. Deep, harmonious and embryonic. (JH)” (02/2024)