Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge 2021

Pessac-Leognan, Grand Cru Classé

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Tasting Notes

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 year, but deliver pleasure far earlier. Harvest September 22 to October 14. 60% new oak (for a little less time than usual). 23hl/h yield.

Score: 95

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2041 21 February 2024

Dark crimson. Some ripe red fruit on the nose. Polished tannins and there is energy here. This sample seems to have a more convincing core than yesterday’s sample tasted at the château. Good level of interest and detail here. Even if the level of acidity is higher than usual and the tannins obviously took some taming. Sweeter than some.

Score: 16+

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2042 06 May 2022

Lots of clove, black-licorice and cigar-box character. Already perfumed. Medium body with fine, chalky and precise tannins. Lead-pencil shavings. Well framed and structured with a fresh, lengthy and spicy finish. Extremely long and intense. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes.

Score: 96 - 97

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 May 2022

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is fabulous. Rich and explosive in the glass, the 2021 possesses tremendous intensity, much of that the result of low yields of just 20-22 hectoliters per hectare, about half of what is typical here. The tannins are a bit firm today, but there appears to be more than enough fruit behind all of that structure. Vivid aromatics further suggest all the 2021 needs is time. I can't wait to see how it ages.

Score: 95 - 97

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2031-2051 01 May 2022

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte was picked from September 22 to October 14, and matured in 60% new oak. It has an open, expressive bouquet of blackberry, freshly rolled tobacco and subtle crushed rock aromas, well-defined though obviously not as flamboyant as the previous three vintages. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and mineral-driven, with fine tannins, a touch of chalkiness, and hints of seaweed on the estuarine finish, even though it lies a few kilometers from the Gironde! Classic in style, and maybe a little austere for some on the finish, yet it feels long in the mouth. Fabien Teitgen and his team have overseen a superb Smith Haut-Lafitte, even though I suspect that it will not reach the heights of the 2010 or the 2016.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2050 01 May 2022

A brilliant wine, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte offers up aromas of blackberries, violets, coniferous forest floor and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's deep and impressively multidimensional, with good concentration, beautifully refined tannins and notable purity of fruit, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. The fruit of a severe selection, this blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot is testament to the Cathiard family's unwavering commitment to quality.

Score: 93 - 95

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 29 April 2022

The flagship 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. It's a rich, powerful wine, delivering lots of ripe black fruits (currants, some cassis), notes of scorched earth and graphite, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a great mid-palate. It shows the straight, focused style of the vintage yet brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and outstanding length.

Score: 93 - 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 06 February 2022