Wine Advisor
Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright yellow. Aromas of apricot, honey and resin. Dense, ripe and serious, with lovely volume and lift to the stone fruit and spice flavors. A very round, mouthcoating wine in which one can taste the 5% semillon component (the wine also contains 90% sauvignon blanc and 5% sauvignon gris). This tastes like lower acidity than the 2007, but there is no shortage of energy.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright, pale yellow. Musky aromas of yellow plum, ginger and quinine, with a light resiny nuance. Fat, broad and sweet, but with lovely acidity and lift to leaven its plump, mouthfilling richness. I picked up a superripe suggestion of banana as well as a glyceral, honeyed, waxy semillon character but this highly complex wine boasts terrific verve and finishes with real grip and length. The 2005, which I rated 91 points in March, is fuller and more exotic but this may ultimately offer a better combination of power and freshness.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a strong vintage for Bordeaux’s dry white wines, probably as good or better than 2005. Crisp acidity combined with outstanding concentration and the fact that most of the white grapes were harvested before the rains began in mid-September resulted in an impressive group of wines.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. A lovely fragrant bouquet, quite a lot of new oak but well subsumed into the fruit. Beeswax, honeysuckle, green lemon and a touch of dried pineapple. Good definition. The palate is medium-bodied, good weight here and slightly viscous. It has the complexity of a great Laville Haut-Brion but quite backward and complex on the finish with lovely dried apricot, walnut and spice lingering on the palate. Superb. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted in London. A lovely, coconut tinged nose with a touch of cut lime and green apple is followed by an intense, apple-flavoured palate with zesty acidity, judicious use of new oak and a crisp, persistent finish. Superb.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Another gorgeous white Graves from this vintage, this wine offers up notes of honeysuckle, lanolin, sweet citrus, and hints of orange peel as well as quince and white currants. It is medium to full-bodied, with fresh acidity, subtle nuances of smoky oak, and a long finish. It should drink well for 15 or more years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the chateau. The 2006 is the best, most vibrant and complex nose so far with scents of gravel, greengage, a hint of elderflower and sweet pea. Good definition. The palate is medium-bodied, well-defined with good weight and structure than previous vintages, a vibrant sense of acidity. Notes of bitter lemon, a touch of dried apricot, mango and spice towards the finish. Good length. Excellent. Drink 2010-2018. Tasted September 2008.
About the Producer
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is located in the village of Martillac in the Pessac-Leognan appellation, south of Bordeaux, France, and is a Grand Cru of the Graves appellation. The Château Smith Haut Lafitte complex is quite large, with a château, winery and large underground cellars, as well as a sizeable resort hotel (Les Sources de Caudalie), the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, the Caudalie restaurant, and the gardens, water and wine garden. The courtyard also features gardens, flowing water and a number of artistic sculptures, including a sculpture by Barry Flanagan called "The Flying Rabbit", as well as wonderful works by Chinese sculptor Huang Yongping and Italian artist Mimmo Paladino, among others. The Smith Haut Lafitte winery Smithers Lafitte has 78 hectares of vineyards planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, while the white varieties include 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Petit Verdot. Sauvignon Blanc, 5% of Sauvignon Gris and 5% of Semillon. The average age of the red vines is 38 years and the average age of the white vines is 40 years. The wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks or in large oak barrels, depending on the variety and the plot. After fermentation, the red wines are aged for 18 months in 60% new barrels and the white wines for 12 months in 50% new barrels. The wines are not filtered before bottling and have a unique, slightly smoky aroma that fully reflects the true nature of the Graves origin. The winery is currently being upgraded and will be 100% gravity-fed when the renovation is complete. The grapes are harvested at perfect ripeness, gently broken and fermented to extract the smoothest and softest tannins and flavours, and the wine is then aged for several years to reveal its qualities: crisp and complex aromas, balanced and full-bodied, elegant and firm on the palate. Currently, Château Smith Lafitte produces six wines: one red and one white, one red and one white, two secondary wines called Le Petit Haut Lafitte, and one red and one white, two tertiary wines called "Les Hauts de Smith". Château Smith Lafitte has stabilised in recent years, receiving high ratings from critics and the press in several vintages, and has been well received by the market. The top vintages of the winery into the 20th century are 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
