Wine Advisor
Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc 2007
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the UGC in London. This has a ripe nose with touches of grapefruit, greengage, lemon, a touch of pineapple and lychee. Good lift and definition. The palate is delightful with fresh green lemon, pear and greengage, superb balance and vitality with a refreshing, beautifully poised finish with tangible minerality coming through on the aftertaste. Excellent! Drink 2011-2018. Tasted November 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This has an intense nose of lemon cheesecake, pineapple, mango and passion fruit. Superb definition. The palate is very well balanced and very powerful, good acidity and tension with vibrant fruits: lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit and a touch of nectarine. The Semillon/Savignon Gris really makes the wine. Great length – this is lovely. (A second sample had just a little more spice on the finish – but other than that similarly impressive as the chateau bottle.) Tasted April 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Rated - No tasting note given.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This has lovely aromas of baked apples, honey, cream, and vanilla. A full-bodied wine, with rich flavors of apple pie, whipped cream, a lightly oily texture, and a long, long finish. This is very complex and gorgeous, what a wine.
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.
