Château SMITH HAUT LAFITTE 2018

Description

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 97+ points www.robertparker.com
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new barriques, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and cedar chest, followed by suggestions of baked plums, smoked meats, tar and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate brings sophistication to all that flamboyant fruit with a beautifully styled frame of finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing bright and fruity with loads of minerally sparks. This is a stunning, singular style that is sure to turn heads!

Neal Martin 95 points www.vinous.com
The 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte was very impressive in barrel, and now in bottle, it delivers. Wonderful precision on the nose, subtle at first but unfurling with each swirl of the glass, revealing scents of blackberry and crushed stone, iris petals like before, and maybe a touch more violet. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tension and good structure. This is a very tight Smith Haut Lafitte, and even affording it 3–4 hours of decanting, it remains more reserved vis-à-vis recent vintages. It eventually offers plenty of black fruit, black olives, a light marine influence and a pinch of cracked black pepper on the sturdy finish. An outstanding Smith Haut Lafitte, given the vintage.

Yves Beck 96-97 points www.yvesbeck.wine

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Pourpre violacé. Ce bouquet se révèle très lentement. Il laisse d’abord apparaître de timides notes florales ainsi qu’épicées. Il a besoin d’air pour gagner en complexité et laisse apparaître des notes d’anis, d’iris, de baies noires, de réglisse ainsi qu’une élégante touche d’élevage. La mise en bouche est friande, charmante. Le vin a du corps, de l’ampleur et présente des tannins porteurs, puissants qui assurent bien les arrières. Ils soulignent leur aptitude à se révéler d’une manière crescendo et atteignent leur maximum à la fin du palais. Je retrouve de la tension et une agréable fraîcheur en finale. Un Smith de caractère qui a de quoi aller loin dans le temps.  2025-2048

Jean-Marc Quarin 95 points www.quarin.com
Couleur rouge sombre, de bonne intensité et belle. Nez intense, fin, fruité, pur et crémeux. Minutieux à l’attaque, fondant au développement, très aromatique et juteux, le vin glisse en bouche, parfumé et savoureux, long, avec du chic et de l’arôme. C’est très bon. Assemblage : 60 % cabernet sauvignon, 34 % merlot, 4 % cabernet franc, 2 % petit verdot. Degré d’alcool : 14°5.

Jane Anson 97 points  www.decanter.com (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Really settling in to the potential that it showed en primeur, this is tightly coiled right now but still full of plush, carefully placed tannins, with olive paste, cassis and dark chocolate. Powerful but also elegant and understated. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvested 18 September to 10 October. 60% new oak (tasted twice, see below).

Straight from the moment you pour this you see, visually and on the aromatics, the density of the wine. This has really held the promise and power that it delivered during en primeur. Subtle and concentrated with dark chocolate, truffle and cassis that gathers weight as it expands outwards through the palate. Mineral pulses along the finish add finesse and balance, as does smoke and crushed stone as it opens further. Yields of just 21 hl/ha for the first wine. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 – 2045