Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Grand Cru Classes – Pessac Leognan, 2015, 0,75l. Price on request

2015 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Grand Cru Classes – Pessac Leognan

The history

The history of Château Smith Haut Lafitte in the municipality of Martillac near Bordeaux begins in the 14th century, when a Scottish wine merchant named George Smith acquired the estate. For decades, the estate belonged to the Eschenauer family, but since 1990, the Parisian Cathiard family has been in charge of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Under the new owners, the estate was certified organic, the wine cellar was modernised and some of the vineyards were replanted. Château Smith Haut Lafitte is planted with seven leading grape varieties. The red Grand Vin Smith Haut Lafitte is a cuvée dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The white Grand Vin is a blend with 90 per cent Sauvignon Blanc. The red and white second wine Le Petit Haut Lafitte and the two Les Hauts de Smith wines impress with their finesse and expressive structure.

The wine

The Smith terroir consists of gravel from the Günz glacial period. These barren soils of alluvial gravel rest on a limestone base from the Tertiary period. Here, clay is mixed with quartz gravel and traces of iron oxide. This subsoil is soft enough for the root system to feed on mineral salts and give the plant the strength it needs to grow. Château Smith Haut Laffite produces an excellent red Pessac-Léognan, mainly from Cabernet-Sauvignon. The cru has continued to evolve until the 2009 vintage, which was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. The bouquet is elegant, generous, characterised by notes of black fruits and evolving towards autumnal notes. The palate is outstanding, concentrated and elegant. The latest vintages will certainly go a long way.

The vineyard covers an area of 56 hectares, of which 45 hectares are dedicated to red wine production. The château now has its own cooperage. This means that barrel production can be monitored, which in turn has a positive effect on quality. Thanks to the integrated weather station, the vineyard can react to bad weather in good time. The château has developed into a pioneer of luxury wine tourism in Bordeaux. The Cathiard family also owns the Caudalie brand.

Production:

The vineyards cover 67 hectares (170 acres), of which 56 hectares are planted with the grape varieties 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc

are planted. The remaining 11 hectares are planted with white varieties of 90 % Sauvignon Blanc, 5 % Sémillon and 5 % Sauvignon Gris.
The Grand Vin, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, is produced annually in 10,000 cases of red wine and 2,500 cases of dry white wine. The second wine,

Les Hauts de Smith, has a production of 5,500 cases and is available in red, white and rosé versions.[4] The rosé is marketed as Bordeaux

AOC. There is an alternative second wine called Le Petit Haut Lafitte, which is produced exclusively as a red wine, with a higher
blend of Cabernet grapes for a more left-field feel; this wine is becoming increasingly popular

William Kelley for Robert Parker

The 2015 Smith Haut Lafitte Grand Cru Classes:

The 2015 Smith Haut Lafitte has a stunning nose of exotic spices over a core of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, plum jam, violets and earthy hints of truffle, moss and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, wonderfully balanced, it envelops the palate with spicy and herbal fruit flavours, supported by very ripe, very fine-grained tannins and endless freshness, finishing with epic length. This wine is already a striking, heartbreaking beauty, but it should also age incredibly well.

Jeb Dunnuck: 100/100

VertdeVin: 100/100

Vinum: 20/20

Suckling: 99-100/100

Parker: 98-100/100