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Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2019

Mix 12
£128.00
Mix 6
£130.00
Per Bottle
£134.00
Same Day - cost based on mileage from Islington
Available Tue 5th Dec
Available today: 4 × 75cl
Available Thu 7th Dec: 22 × 75cl
- Time Left to Order
DHL Next Working Day from £9.90
Deliver Wed 6th Dec
Available Wed 6th Dec: 4 × 75cl
Available Fri 8th Dec: 22 × 75cl
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Description & Technical Information
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Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region. For many years it was owned by the Bordeaux négociant Eschenauer - in 1990 it was bought by former Olympic skiing champions, Daniel & Florence Cathiard. They cut down on the amount of chemicals and herbicides used in the vineyards, and fully modernised the winemaking facilities. The proportion of new oak barrels used in the maturation process was increased and a trio of eminent oenologists (including the ubiquitous Michel Rolland) were hired as consultants. The 55 hectares of vineyards are located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly. The red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barrels (50% new) for 15-18 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Weather in 2019: This was a pretty wonderful vintage for producers, with quantities slightly reduced by cool weather at flowering, until the time came to launch the primeurs in a pandemic. The wines, generally pretty consistent, were clearly made from fully ripe grapes with a good charge of tannins but also, considering how hot and dry the summer was, with a surprising degree of freshness.

Technical Information:
Region: Bordeaux
Sub-region: Left Bank, Pessac-Léognan
Grape Varieties: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
Lees Ageing: 18 Months with 60% new barrels
Winemaker: Fabien Teitgen
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink: Now to 2045

Tasting Note: The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is deep garnet-purple in color. It jumps from the glass with bold notions of warm plums, juicy blackberries, and fragrant soil, plus hints of baking spices, lilacs, and Ceylon tea. The full-bodied palate has muscular fruit with a firm texture of grainy tannins, countered by lively acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. - Tasted by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Overview
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Expert Reviews
99/100
Jane Anson
“Sink into this concentrated, textured, creamy wine, full of liqourice, blueberry, cassis and black cherry fruits, then let the pencil lead, cigar box and campfire notes spiral upwards out of the glass as it opens. Clearly shows why the signature acidity of Bordeaux, even in the best vintages, is just so welcome - it gives focus and a taut, confident feel through the core of the wine, and clearly suggests how well it will age. 60% new oak. Tasted in September last year, same impression of an exceptional wine. In organic conversion, Fabien Teitgen technical director, harvest from September 17 for the reds.”
96/100
William Kelley
“The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with a complex bouquet of dark berries, cassis, forest floor, pencil shavings, licorice and spices. Full-bodied, broad and velvety, it's layered and elegantly muscular, underpinned by rich structuring tannins and lively acids, and it concludes with a long, expansive finish. This is another estate where the viticultural and stylistic evolutions of the last decade have delivered a beautifully balanced, harmonious 2019. Drink Date 2026 - 2055”
97+/100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
“The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is deep garnet-purple in color. It jumps from the glass with bold notions of warm plums, juicy blackberries, and fragrant soil, plus hints of baking spices, lilacs, and Ceylon tea. The full-bodied palate has muscular fruit with a firm texture of grainy tannins, countered by lively acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.”
98/100
Jeb Dunnuck
“Reminding me a little of the 2009, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has a rich, powerful style in its cassis, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit as well as its chalky minerality, smoked earth, tobacco, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this rich, unctuously textured beauty has terrific concentration, sweet tannins, and the vintage's hallmark elegance and finesse. One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age (or a healthy decant) and will evolve for 30+ years if stored properly. Not enough can be said about what proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, as well as winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate.”
99/100
James Suckling
“Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine.”
17+/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Tasted blind. Good freshness and a certain sinewy, mineral quality that strikes me as quintessential Graves. Drive, and something that really spreads across the palate. 14.5%
Drink 2028 – 2044”
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