Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2019

Dry Whites

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Tasting Notes
The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc has a taut and focused bouquet with mineral-rich citrus fruit that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with fine acidity, quite intense with Clementine, orange rind and a touch of spice. Lots of extract on the finish with impressive length. Quite delicious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Score: 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2042 01 February 2023
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. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2048 01 February 2022
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a perfumed bouquet with citrus lemon, red apples, yellow plum and jasmine bursting from the glass. The oak here is wonderfully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with a perfect bead of acidity. It is not the most complex white Smith Haut Lafitte that I have tasted, yet it is full of tension with subtle spicy notes of ginger and lemongrass that enliven the persistent finish. There is a brightness and sophistication to this wine that is very persuasive. Superb. Tasted twice. Score: 94 - 96 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 01 June 2020
Always a dry white that showcases the possibilities of this style in Bordeaux, this is an excellent wine with grip and power, savoury white pear and liqourice on the opening beats, taut yet balanced, widens out in the palate to show creamy saffron-laced nectarine and peach. Fabien Teitgen technical director. In organic conversion. Harvest from August 27 for the whites. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2036 25 May 2022
A tender caress of smoke on the opening beats before gathering pace and jumping out of the glass. It continues to build focus, density and character through the palate, showcasing stone and citrus fruits, with a scrape of slate, flint and graphite that grip on and close down on the finish. Brilliant, a serious white wine that always manages to seduce. If you are planning to drink this soon I recommend a good few hours in a carafe first. 50% new oak. 55% of overall production. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2032 13 January 2022
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. Score: 95 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021 - 2035 07 April 2022
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. Score: 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2024+ 11 February 2022
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is a total stunner. All the elements come together so gracefully. Silky and pliant, the Blanc has terrific depth, but it doesn't feel at all like a wine from a warm vintage. Orchard fruit, mint, fig, lemon oil and white flowers flesh out in a silky, nuanced Blanc that is captivating and exquisite from the very first taste. The 2019 is simply fabulous. Tasted two times. Terrific. Score: 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2034 01 February 2022
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is creamy and beautifully textured. Orchard fruit, mint, white flowers, lemon confit and white pepper confer briskness to a white that nicely balances the natural richness of the year with freshness that comes from picking on the early side. A dollop of Sémillon adds richness and textural depth. Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020
The blend this year is 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Sémillon, fermented in French oak, 50% new, within which it will age for 12 months on lees with batonnage. The Smith Haut Lafitte 2019 Blanc has a nose that unfolds in stages—offering intense white grapefruit, green mango, yuzu and orange blossoms scents to begin, giving way to hints of coriander seed, turmeric, shaved almonds and cedar chest with wafts of baking bread and beeswax coming through after some coaxing. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully opulent with layers of citrus, stone fruit and savory flavors and a seductive oiliness to the texture, finishing very long and fantastically refreshing. Wow-o-WOW, that is good! Score: 96 - 98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020

Tasting Notes

The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc has a taut and focused bouquet with mineral-rich citrus fruit that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with fine acidity, quite intense with Clementine, orange rind and a touch of spice. Lots of extract on the finish with impressive length. Quite delicious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2042 01 February 2023

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.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2048 01 February 2022

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a perfumed bouquet with citrus lemon, red apples, yellow plum and jasmine bursting from the glass. The oak here is wonderfully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with a perfect bead of acidity. It is not the most complex white Smith Haut Lafitte that I have tasted, yet it is full of tension with subtle spicy notes of ginger and lemongrass that enliven the persistent finish. There is a brightness and sophistication to this wine that is very persuasive. Superb. Tasted twice.

Score: 94 - 96

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 01 June 2020

Always a dry white that showcases the possibilities of this style in Bordeaux, this is an excellent wine with grip and power, savoury white pear and liqourice on the opening beats, taut yet balanced, widens out in the palate to show creamy saffron-laced nectarine and peach. Fabien Teitgen technical director. In organic conversion. Harvest from August 27 for the whites.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2036 25 May 2022

A tender caress of smoke on the opening beats before gathering pace and jumping out of the glass. It continues to build focus, density and character through the palate, showcasing stone and citrus fruits, with a scrape of slate, flint and graphite that grip on and close down on the finish. Brilliant, a serious white wine that always manages to seduce. If you are planning to drink this soon I recommend a good few hours in a carafe first. 50% new oak. 55% of overall production.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2032 13 January 2022

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.

Score: 95

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021 - 2035 07 April 2022

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.

Score: 97

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2024+ 11 February 2022

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is a total stunner. All the elements come together so gracefully. Silky and pliant, the Blanc has terrific depth, but it doesn't feel at all like a wine from a warm vintage. Orchard fruit, mint, fig, lemon oil and white flowers flesh out in a silky, nuanced Blanc that is captivating and exquisite from the very first taste. The 2019 is simply fabulous. Tasted two times. Terrific.

Score: 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2034 01 February 2022

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is creamy and beautifully textured. Orchard fruit, mint, white flowers, lemon confit and white pepper confer briskness to a white that nicely balances the natural richness of the year with freshness that comes from picking on the early side. A dollop of Sémillon adds richness and textural depth.

Score: 92 - 94

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020

The blend this year is 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Sémillon, fermented in French oak, 50% new, within which it will age for 12 months on lees with batonnage. The Smith Haut Lafitte 2019 Blanc has a nose that unfolds in stages—offering intense white grapefruit, green mango, yuzu and orange blossoms scents to begin, giving way to hints of coriander seed, turmeric, shaved almonds and cedar chest with wafts of baking bread and beeswax coming through after some coaxing. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully opulent with layers of citrus, stone fruit and savory flavors and a seductive oiliness to the texture, finishing very long and fantastically refreshing. Wow-o-WOW, that is good!

Score: 96 - 98

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020

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