2000 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan

Such great aromatics from the off - wild flowers, leather, tobacco, cigar smoke and red fruits. This is a real wine to have with food - juicy and fun with such lifted energy but keeping depth. There's such detail and a sense of construction to this that it's more than just an easy-drinking, enjoyable wine at this point. Feels like a great time to approach this to get a sense of the winemaking philosophy at the estate - creating ageable wines with a real sense of place and purpose. (GH)

Tasted immediately after the 2015 vintage the contrast between the young and the evolved could not be greater. There is nothing more you could ask of the aromatic profile from this wine, the nose revealing complex and intertwined scents of black truffle and black bean, with a fresh and savoury suggestion. This enticing array of aromatics is matched by the beautifully composed palate which is finely textured, especially taking into account the nature of the vintage. It still possesses plenty of dry grip at its heart, and as a consequence the structure feels a little more grained than some other recent vintages tasted alongside it, but I think this is part and parcel of the more classically framed 2000 vintage. All in all this is a beautiful wine which will please Bordeaux traditionalists.