Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2021

Special Price $134.95 Average US Price $183.00
Pre-Arrival   Usually arrives from France in 1-6 months
Only 30 left
SKU
5242-2021
Pre-Arrival Pre-Arrival - See Footnote
Estimate Fees

Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Château Smith Haut Lafitte
• Appellation: Pessac-Léognan
• Classification: Grand Vin de Graves
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France

Founded in 1365, this Grand Cru Classé owes its reputation as "the quintessential Graves" and characteristic smoky notes to its sloped terroir containing semi-precious stones such as quartzite and angatoid.

Since purchasing the estate in 1990, Daniel and Florence Cathiard have comrnitted themselves to bio-precision practices which combine innovative viticultural and winemaking techniques, with great respect for the vines, soil, and environment. Organic farming using biodynamic methods and without chemical inputs contributes to the unique expression of the terroir, resulting in elegant, complex, powerful and well-balanced wines.

Estate tours are available 7 days a week and include a visit to the cooperage, 1,000-barrel underground cellar, gravity-flow vat room and Forest of the Senses land art trail featuring monumental art works (booking required).

(Credit: Château Smith Haut Lafitte)

Tasting Notes

"At this early stage, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc appears set to number among the best white wines this estate has produced to date. Wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, nectarine, grapefruit, pastry cream and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a taut, chiseled profile, concluding with a saline finish. Balancing texture and tension to compelling effect, this beautifully integrated, characterful white is going to be thrilling to revisit in bottle." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/29/2022), Ratings: (94-96)

"The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked September 2–20 and raised in 50% new oak. It needs some time to really cohere in the glass and certainly is not as immediate as the Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte. Eventually, it reveals fresh lime, pineapple, honeysuckle and touches of curry leaf. The taut, fresh palate is well balanced and intense, with a fine bead of acidity. Complex with plenty of salinity, this is a cerebral Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc that will benefit from three or four years in the cellar." - Neal Martin, Vinous (5/2022), Ratings: 94-96

"The Grand Vin 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc checks in as the usual blend of 90% Sauvignon and 5% each of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. It has a kiss of green in its gold hue as well as brilliant aromatics of melon, stone fruits, minty herbs, chalky mineral, and flowers. Complex, nuanced, and medium to full-bodied, with both richness and elegance, it's a brilliant white in the making." - Jeb Dunnuck (6/2/2022) Ratings: 95-97

More Information
Stock Status Pre-Arrival
Appellation Pessac-Léognan
Vintage 2021
Brand Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Shipping Weight 3.000000

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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