Wine Advisor
Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc 2008
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A beautiful honeyed nose offers buttered citrus, subtle earth and smoke and rich melon-like aromas. This is a round, generously endowed dry white capable of lasting a decade or more.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. The Smith Haut-Lafitte 2008 has an attractive, oyster shell, chalk dust and lime scented bouquet with touches of crushed stone. The palate is a little primal, but well-balanced and quite soft and caressing in the mouth. I would like to see more complexity and vibrancy towards the finish. Tasted January 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Compared to 2006 and 2007, the 2008 dry white wines of Bordeaux are inferior, but that does not mean they are not very good. They do not possess the flesh, power, or richness of the 2006 and 2007, but they reveal precise, intensely aromatic personalities, lighter bodies, and more noticeable acidity. These remain among the world’s most underrated world-class dry white wines. I will provide full tasting notes once they are in bottle, but following are the dry whites I tasted along with their approximate scores.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This is lacking its usual exuberance and complexity on the nose, a little green with touches of apple and lime. The palate is better with some lovely apricot notes, citrus lemon and a touch of orange-blossom. Hopefully the aromatics can blossom by the time of bottling. I just wanted a bit more from this. Tasted April 2009.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A luscious nose of cream, apple pie, lemons, and dried mangos lead you on to a full body, with bright acidity that turns to vanilla, cream, dried apricots, and minerals. This is lively and powerful, but still needs at least one year in the bottle. It should age past that with no problem. Pull the cork in 2011.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Lots of dried fruits such as apples and pears. Mineral, and lanolin. Medium to full body, dense and flavorful. Bright acidity. Waxy finish. Very serious structure. Drink now.
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.
