Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2021

The nose is precise and complex, with cassis, blackberry, tobacco, licorice, and violet. On the palate it is fresh, racy, straight and crisp, with a sensational structure and fine-grained tannins of the highest quality. Undoubtedly a top wine with plenty of reserve.

Provides a step up in substance, with steeped red and black currant fruit laced with tobacco, bay leaf and worn leather accents. Features flashes of warm earth and iron that underscore the finish, also showing depth and grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2035. 10,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.

You might think this was a 2021 vintage, with its structure, style and charm combined with drinkability and ageability. A vibrant nose: pink roses, blackcurrants, strawberries, vanilla and milk chocolate, with touches of pepper and toast. Supple, with bounce and energy, a firm frame but a juicy, bright core of red berry fruits. Not light but not plush, dense yet balanced, fun and friendly with precision and focus, and lots of flavour and texture.

This is extremely perfumed, with violets, lavender, forest fruit and beeswax. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy, round tannins. It’s delicious already with a lovely balance, showing dark fruit, meat and chocolate with a hint of smoke. Straight and driven, it has a long finish for the vintage. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two.

Bottled last June, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte has a ripe bouquet for the vintage: black cherries, licorice, Provençal herbs and a touch of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a deft touch of black pepper and graphite, building toward a finish that exerts a gentle grip. It is slightly less marine-influenced than the barrel sample, but it is still a very decent Smith Haut Lafitte. This year, it must accept that the white has the upper hand.

Black cherries, orange rind, plums, flowers, blackberries, tobacco, and smoke-filled aromas seize your attention with little effort. There is a richness to the wine from all its chocolate, licorice, cherries, and currants. The finish combines salty, oceanic influences, dark chocolate, citrus, licorice, chalk, and savory fruits, with chocolate in the lingering, dusty close. I sense this could be even better with a few years of bottle age. A large part of the success of the 2021 vintage here is the concentration that comes from yields of only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027–2050.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle ochre brightening on the rim. A well-developed bouquet full of inviting aromas, nuances of oak, ripe cherry, sweet plum and blackberry confit. Juicy, elegant and fresh with a hint of nougat and a lingering finish. Already enjoyable to drink today, definite ageing potential.

Another Graves that reminds me slightly of the 2014, the 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has straight-up classic notes of cassis and blackberry fruits interwoven with smoked tobacco, smoky, gravelly earth, and spicy nuances. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and incredibly elegant, with ultra-fine tannins, it's going to round into form with just 3-4 years of bottle age and will still be drinking beautifully at age 20.

Inky ruby in colour, with vivid reflections, this successfully walks the line of the vintage, delivering quality and a sense of drama, campfire smoke, crushed rocks, sage, cassis, bilberry, blueberry and damson fruits. Silky tannins, stands out for its quality, one to look out for, and will age to at least 15 years, but deliver pleasure far earlier. Harvest September 22 to October 14. 60% new oak (for a little less time than usual). 23 hl/ha yield.

A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and mulberries come bounding out of the glass, followed by suggestions of allspice, dried roses, and Sichuan pepper, with a fragrant waft of lavender. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with vibrant black and red berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and compelling tension, finishing long and minerally. Nicely done!

Very refined, limpid on the nose, with inviting aromas of dark fruits, spices and flowers that tingle in the nostrils, offering a sapid freshness and an empyreumatic afternote. The wine is rich, intense and generous on the palate while remaining airy, elegant and controlled. The gently granular tannins are so flavorful, so delicious, you almost want to eat them. They lead us to a fresh, bright finish with indulgent mocha flavors. A wonderfully digestible and savory wine for immediate pleasure.

The subtle, complex bouquet of Smith Haut Lafitte highlights the outstanding quality of this wine in a challenging vintage. Elegant and dense, it features precise tannins with fine grains and a delicately suave texture. A harmonious, inviting, and persistent wine.

Beautiful dark, purple color. Intense nose, fruity, subtle and complex. Lovely floral nuance. A touch of hazelnut. Precise on the attack, very aromatic mid-palate, with flavor and presence; the wine melts on the palate, savory, long, and slightly oaky at this age. It’s very good. Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 13.5% – No chaptalization – pH: 3.65. Very light saignée. Harvest from September 22 to October 14.