A gorgeous wine that flirts with perfection, the 2015 offers perfectly ripe blackcurrant aromas as well as delicate hints of graphite, flowers, black cherry and roasted meat. Possessing an almost Smith-like elegance on the palate, it has a fine tannic frame, fruity structure and saline finish. This powerful, full-bodied wine can be preserved for several decades. 2015 marks the 650th anniversary of Smith Haut Lafitte and 25 years of the Cathiard family’s ownership of the estate. (YC)

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2015 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge needs a lot of swirling to begin to reveal profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, preserved plums, and wild blueberries, followed by hints of Indian spices, fragrant soil, wood smoke, and tar. The full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by very firm, ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic tension, leading to epic length and depth on the finish of this stunning wine. (LPB) 98+

Packed with black cherry and damson fruit, with a smoky curl of grilled sandalwood and cloves, this continues to deliver, as it has since En Primeur, and although there are tons of tannins that will take it through decades, it has not closed down too tightly, and can be enjoyed now with a long carafe. I often say that Smith Haut Lafitte is the wine to choose if you want to be sure of making people happy, while still delivering a sense of occasion and complexity, and it comes across so well in this vintage, with its cocoa bean and cappucino creaminess, and grippy acidity with salted cracker finish. 60% new oak, Fabien Teitgen technical director. Organic and biodynamic farming. 2015 is also an important year hear, marking 650 years since the founding of Smith Haut Lafitte and 25 years of the Cathiard family’s ownership.