Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2021

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Grand Cru Classé property within the Pessac-Léognan appellation that needs little to no introduction.  The stunning wines from this estate captivate many a drinker and critic alike.  It is one of the few properties within the Left Bank that produces both red, white, and rosé wines of excellent quality.  The caliber of grand vin produced at this estate continues to improve with each vintage, resulting in a spectacularly reviewed 2020 that has dramatically changed the trajectory of this estate.  Without a doubt, Château Smith Haut Lafitte is having a producer having its moment. 

Château Smith Haut Lafitte hosts a long history in Bordeaux that dates back over 800 years.  The property was initially a part of the Du Bosq holdings in the Graves region.  The Du Bosqs were the first to plant vines in 1365 in the heavily graveled Lafitte plateau.  The property was purchased in 1720 by a man named George Smith, who added his name to the property and that is how Château Smith Haut Lafitte received its name. The property is presently owned by Daniel and Florence Cathiard.  The Cathiards purchased Château Smith Haut Lafitte in 1990, and that is when the true story of this estate begins. 

Prior to the Cathiards involvement, Château Smith Haut Lafitte was not a well-known wine producer.  The Cathiards purchased Château Smith Haut Lafitte because they were intrigued by the fact the vineyard was capable of producing both red and white wines.  The Cathiards made a series of sweeping changes to the estate and stopped the use of mechanical harvesting.  Instead, they handpicked the fruit.  They made changes to the sorting process, implementing two sorting passes to make sure only the choicest fruit get selected for the grand vin.   The Cathiards also invested a significant amount of funding in building their own cooperage, which allowed them to produce 70% of their own barrels.   They shifted farming practices towards sustainability, and the property is now considered a leader in that respect.  As of 2020, they received a Robert Parker Green Emblem for sustainable viticultural practices.  A mixture of tradition and technological innovation govern the winemaking practices at Château Smith Haut Lafitte.  It is one of the first properties to use Oenoview satellite imagery to find the optimum time to begin harvest in addition to using optical sorting technology. 

The sprawling 78 hectare vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.  For white varietals, a mixture of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon thrive in these vineyards.  The vines are an average of 35 years old, and they are diligently tended to by the team.  A lot ofbiodynamic techniques are implemented here to achieve perfection in the vineyard.  The Cathiards have made the decision to hire Michel Rolland and Stephane Derenoncourt as consultants who guide the vinification process in the state-of-the-art gravity flow cellars.  There is plenty of experimentation in the vat room, and this results in a dynamic and complex wine. 

"The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is the white wine of the vintage, hands down. Creamy and layered, the 2021 offers all the qualities that make whites off this site so compelling, Nothing is out of place. It's aromatic yet deep, fresh yet layered. Utterly mind-bending right out of the gate, this superb white hits all the right notes. Slate, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper linger. Magnifique!" - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2024), Ratings: 98

"N°27 TOP 100 JEB DUNNUCK 2024. The 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (90% Sauvignon and 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon) is similarly crisp, focused, and chiseled, yet has another level of concentration. Racy citrus, lime, and graphite fruit notes are support by beautiful minerality, minty herb, and sappy flower-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated white offering perfectly integrated acidity, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This beauty will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and have over two decades of longevity." - Jeb Dunnuck, (12/13/2024), Ratings: 96

"Delivers intensity and slow build. This stretches out and is a wine to savour, showing quince, white pear, fresh yet creamy white peach and citrus, edges of sage, lemongrass, tea. Great balance, and a mouthwatering salty lick finish. Clarity and vivid, can clearly age. One of the wines of the vintage. Harvest September 2 to 20." - Jane Anson, (01/14/2024), Ratings: 96

"Toasted oak, lanolin, honeyed caramel, lemon zest and red apple peel on both the nose and palate. This has an unctuosity, a richness to the texture giving beautiful honeyed lemon touches with Semillon fatness and intensity from the Sauvignon. It’s sleeping a little right now, feels as if it’s calm and quiet, not yet ready to show the world what it’s about but you do get a precision and detail along the edges, a real sculpting of elements. I love the presentation, such a success for the vintage, excellent winemaking on show. It's the soft vibration you get as the flavours travel from start to finish that is so promising - a lot of life and immense enjoyment to come from this." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (04/01/2022), Ratings: 96