Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc

The most remarkable Bordeaux I’ve tasted over the past 2 years. An incredible texture with a crystalline mouthfeel, transcending grape varieties, transcending the sensory hallmarks of white Bordeaux, this wine is nothing short of a metamorphosis. » JM. Quarin, professional wine writer, about the 2015 vintage.

Winemaker notes

2020 - The wine is pale yellow. The nose is already very expressive with notes of yellow fruits (peach, apricot), white flowers (acacias, orange blossom), and a beautiful elegance of citrus fruits. The aromatic on the palate is similar to the one on the nose with yellow fruits, floral notes, and we perceive a greater complexity with more mineral, spicy notes while flint stones give the signature of our great terroir.

2017 - The 2017 white Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a very attractive translucent, bright, pale yellow color. The bouquet goes on to reveal white fruit, citrus notes and a tremendous freshness, while swirling in the glass helps to reveal the wine's full aromatic potential: grapefruit, mandarin orange, white nectarine, lime blossom, a touch of star anise, resulting in very fine and precise wines. The wine's freshness and crystalclear character is not unlike the 2007 and 2013 vintages… Starting out crisp and firm on the palate, this wine is highly dynamic with an impressively long aftertaste. Substance and richness help balance out acidic notes and lend the wine its rich and delicious character. The palate naturally features white fruit and floral notes alongside toasty and mineral overtones reflecting the presence of flint in our gravel soils. A decidedly fine white Smith Haut Lafitte displaying excellent tension and richness – a pure reflection of its terroir!

2020

WA 94: A strong effort, the 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of nectarine, pear, lemongrass, Sauvignon botanicals, toasted bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with ripe acids and chalky structuring extract. It's not quite as vibrant and precise as the 2019, but it's a success nonetheless.

JS 97: Aromas of grapefruit, melon, ripe apple, and lemon. Lots of lemon curd as well. Full and layered with plenty of fine phenolics. Energetic and vivid. Minerally and lightly chewy at the end. From organic grapes. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.

2019

WA 95: The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has turned out very well in bottle, reflecting the estate's volition to craft more structured, age-worthy whites. Offering up aromas of gooseberry, nectarine, mint and lemongrass mingled with hints of pastry cream, almond paste and smoke, it's full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a textural attack that segues into a fleshy but promisingly tightly wound mid-palate, concluding with a saline finish. As usual, the blend features a small percentage of Sauvignon Gris, which brings more dry extract to the ensemble.

JS 97: Aromas of dried apples, pears and peaches with crushed stones. Fresh flowers, such as lilacs. Full-bodied with layers of fruit and a fresh, creamy palate that continues on for minutes. A refined, precise, and polished Smith. Tight at the end. Needs two or three years to open.

AG 95: The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is almost identical to the sample bottle that I received last year. On the nose, mirabelle, orange blossom, jasmine and wild peach scents burst from the glass, then gain more refinement with air. The palate is very well balanced, with superb acidity that cuts through the concentrated flavors of pineapple, tangerine, white peach, and just the right amount of bitterness on the finish to bring you back for another sip. This is an excellent Smith Haut Lafitte that should age well over the next 20+ years.

2017

WA 97+: The 2017 Blanc prances out of the glass with pretty, cheerful scents of fresh green apples, lemongrass, lime leaves and white peaches plus spicy touches of fresh ginger, coriander seed and white pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastic intensity and tension, with a racy backbone cutting through the tightly knit citrus and spice layers, finishing long and mineral laced.

JS 97: This is fabulous white with sliced apples, pears, stones, flint and light cream. Really incredible. Full-bodied, yet so tight and polished with superb finesse and density at the same time. A fantastic Smith white. A blend of 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon. Drink or hold.

2012

WA 95: Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting. The 2012 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc has an intense bouquet with mint-fresh Granny Smith apple scents, quite exotic compared to its peers, greengage and gooseberry, a touch of tinned apricot. The palate is crisp and fresh on the entry with lime and gooseberry notes, the acidity well judged, a healthy veneer of new oak, but it is totally in sync with the fruit. Give this 4-5 years for everything to fully assimilate and you will have a splendid white Bordeaux. This is pure nectar. Tasted January 2016.

JS 95: Aromas of cream, cooked apples and pears follow through to a full body with toasted-oak, cream and vanilla character buttressed by plenty of fruit. So much peach and apricot character. This a bright and flamboyant wine for the vintage. One of the best dry whites. Drink or hold.