Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2018

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, and their expressions of white Bordeaux are some of the finest in the Left Bank. The property hosts a long history in Bordeaux that dates back over 800 years. It was initially a part of the Du Bosq holdings in the Graves region. The Du Bosq were the first to plant vines in 1365 in the graveled Lafitte plateau. The property was purchased in 1720 by a man named George Smith, who named it after himself 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 began. 

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. 

For white varietals, a mixture of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon thrive in these vineyards. There are approximately 11 hectares of white varietals that are planted just behind the château to the North of the vineyard. Some of the old vine Sauvignon Blanc is 70 years of age.  Interestingly enough, the white varietals thrive in cooler microclimates of this diverse terroir. Native yeasts are used in vinifying, and the white varietals are farmed using a lot of biodynamic practices.  The wine is crystalline in its purity, with beautiful structure due to the slightly toasted French oak barrels that are made at the estates’ cooperage. 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. Without a doubt, Château Smith Haut Lafitte is truly a classic, treasure of a white Bordeaux.

This vintage is composed of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Sémillon. 

The 2018 vintage has a straw-yellow color with green highlights. The nose is relatively discrete at first, with notes of beautifully ripe yellow fruit. Swirling in the glass goes on to reveal a complex aromatic palette of white and yellow fruit such as grapefruit, vineyard peach, apricot, citron, white flowers (lime blossom), spices (fresh ginger) and smoky nuances. This wine starts out crisp and delicious on the palate demonstrating a wonderful balance between richness and freshness. The middle palate is rich and displays a lovely velvety texture, culminating in a very long aftertaste that is both fresh and aromatically complex.

"The 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was taken directly from tank. According to winemaker Fabien Teitgen it will be bottled in December 2019, a sufficient time to obtain the definition he seeks. It has a tightly wound bouquet that feels very closed at the moment, touches of pressed white flowers intermingling with granite and green apple scents. The palate is very well balanced with fine definition. This feels saline in the mouth with quite penetrating acidity (pH 3.15), a white Pessac-Léognan that gets the saliva flowing, with a pretty green apple and dried apricot finish. Very promising." - Neal Martin, vinous.com, (November, 2019), Ratings: 92-94, Drink: 2022-2040

"The Smith Haut Lafitte 2018 Blanc is composed of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris, aging in 50% new oak barriques. It features intense scents of lime leaves, pink grapefruit, white peaches and green mango with hints of yuzu, lemon meringue pie, crushed rocks and coriander seed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with energetic citrus and stone fruit layers, with a satiny texture and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Ratings: 94-96