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Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte
With the distinctive blue shield on the label, the wines of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte have a tendency to stand out in a crowd of bottles. I first came across one in a Liverpool wine merchant, very early on in my appreciation of wine. It was from a good vintage for the region, but was rather pricy, and in addition the estate at that time was passing through a period of under-performance. When looking for quality in Graves, Smith-Haut-Lafitte was one name that was low down the list, after more popular and perhaps exalted estates such as Pape-Clement, Domaine de Chevalier, Haut-Bailly and, of course, the complex of Haut-Brion properties. Today, this view would be outdated. Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a good example of the wave of reinvestment and revitalisation that some Bordeaux estates have experienced in recent years. Tastings of recent vintages, both white and red, have demonstrated that there are now very good wines produced here. Smith-Haut-Lafitte has found its way onto my list of potential purchases once more.
Like many Pessac-Léognan estates, the history of Smith-Haut-Lafitte extends
back much further than those in the Médoc, which was only drained in the past
few centuries. Properties in Graves, the main appellation here, of which
Pessac-Léognan is a section, as well as the sweet wine enclaves of Sauternes, Barsac and
the lesser known Cérons, often date back to Medieval times, modern buildings
occasionally incorporating the remains of ancient houses or even fortresses.
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte is no exception; it is claimed that viticulture was
undertaken here by the Bosq family as long ago as 1365, when the Médoc was just
a marsh, although there are no buildings standing today that date from this
period. The mist clears a little in the 16th Century, when the estate was
certainly in existence, although it was not until two centuries later that it was purchased by George Smith, a Scottish merchant, who gave his name to
the property. Smith was responsible for developing the estate, constructing a
manor house, maintaining active viticulture and exporting his wine to the UK. By
1842, however, the estate was in French ownership, as Monsieur Duffour-Dubergier,
Mayor of Bordeaux, inherited it from his mother. This family increased the
reputation of Smith-Haut-Lafitte with great care in the vineyard, and the wine
was now exported worldwide, carried by Louis Eschenauer. In 1958, the Eschenauer
company purchased the property, and the present owner, Daniel Cathiard, took
control about 35 years after that. It is Cathiard, an Olympic skier who
purchased the estate off the back of the family's chain of supermarkets and
sporting goods stores, that has been credited with returning Smith-Haut-Lafitte
to the level of quality that it previously exhibited. Having sold their business
interests, Daniel Cathiard and his wife Florence have invested heavily,
restoring buildings and constructing a new 2000-barrel cellar.
The vineyards total 56 hectares, of which 45
hectares are planted to red varieties,
comprising 35% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the
other 11 hectares being planted to white, specifically 90% Sauvignon Blanc,
5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. The average vine age is 30 years, and
planting density is between 7500 and 10000 vines per hectare. The soils are
typical of the region, mainly Gunzian gravel. The alcoholic fermentation is temperature
controlled, ten degrees cooler for the whites than the reds, with the red
wines spending up to 32 days macerating. The white wines are fermented in
stainless steel, the red in oak vats, and once finished both wines spend
some time in oak; the red up to 20 months in 80% new barrels, the white
receiving a slightly gentler 12 months in 50% new barrels. There is no problem with
supply of barrels; the property has a cooperage on site (not to mention the
hotel, spa and two restaurants). The finished wines
are neither fined nor filtered. The grand vin, Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte,
appears in red (8300 cases per annum) and white (2500 cases per annum) guises, and there are
second wines which go under the Les Hauts de Smith label (5500 cases per
annum).
I've alluded already to my personal opinion of Smith-Haut-Lafitte; this is a great property which lost its way at some point during the 20th Century. In the past decade or so, however, things have taken a turn for the better here. The wines, on tasting them, are clearly of purchasable quality, in the case of 2005 they are both fresh and rich, both highly desirable characteristics, especially in combination! I have tasted more than the few vintages below, with more experience of the whites than the reds, and have found no reason not to concur with prevailing opinion; Smith-Haut-Lafitte is once again a name to look out for and purchase. (16/5/06)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte, 33650 Martillac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 83 11 22
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 83 11 21
Internet:
www.smith-haut-lafitte.com
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2007:
Very direct on the nose, more lively than some,
expressive, with a rather flashy edge to the passion fruit and lemon curd
character. Soft, full, textured, some grip, with attractive fruit. Grassy notes
on the finish. Needs to flesh out a little through the midpalate. Very good
though. From my 2007 Bordeaux
primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan)
2007: Rather burnt, charry oak character here, raw
and hard. Firm on the palate, a nice substance, broad, nice
flesh and quite persistent. A slightly bitter charcoaly finish. Plenty of
character although there is a need for this wine to come together in a more
harmonious fashion in barrel. From my 2007 Bordeaux
primeur assessment. 14.5-15.5+/20 (April 2008)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: 90% SB, 5% Sem, 5% S-Gris. Fresh.
Creamy, green-nettly nose. Vibrant and open, with candied confected fruit. A
moderate texture and weight, peppery, grippy, full and firm. Good structure,
this has very nice style, and is full of potential, although I preferred last
years effort slightly more I think. From my
2006 Bordeaux assessment.
16-17+/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: Rather a sweetly-scented nose, with
ripe fruit alongside notes of cough-candy and aniseed. Full, moderately
concentrated, a soft style, with ripe, defined but gentle tannins and moderate
acidity. There are some nice components here but overall it lacks the freshness
and structure I seek. From my 2006 Bordeaux
assessment. 13-15/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: There are some beautiful, lively aromatics here, something I
have come to expect from Smith-Haut-Lafitte with its renaissance in recent
years. It has a ripe exuberance that sings from the glass, more modern and
tropical than some of its peers, and sometimes with a rather heady but not
perfumed style. On the palate it is perhaps a little flashy, but it has a nice
definition, rounded with fair acidity although it does not quite have the zip
that I picked up when tasting barrel samples in March 2006. But the ripe,
mineral-tinged style is true to form for this property. Very good. From my
tasting of 2005 Bordeaux
at two years of age. 16.5+/20 (October 2007)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: Lots of zippy
and exuberant on the nose here, really quite exotic in character, but with a
lime-like freshness. Lovely fruit profile to match on the palate, a ripe
tropical fruit salad. But it has great acidity too, fresh and balanced. There is
a sharp note on the back of the palate, but overall this has fine character.
Very good indeed. Tasted at the
2005 Bordeaux en primeur
tasting. 16.5-17.5/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan)
2005: A gentle nose, perhaps rather surprising in light of the preceding
wines, with a redcurrant character. The palate has a really lovely style, smooth
and rather seamless, with the tannins well hidden. Ripe and textured, but firm,
with very good grip. This is very nicely composed, and has a good, ripe, grippy
finish. Excellent potential again. From my tasting of
2005 Bordeaux at
two years of age. 17.5+/20 (October 2007)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: A moderate depth of
colour, but a very expressive nose here, which displays complex, meaty,
blackberry fruit. Good texture and weight on the palate, carrying a lovely depth
of cherry and berry fruit. Fine, quite firm, not over-extracted tannins,
although there is quite a flourish of them on the finish. An appealing, silky
quality here. This has real depth, and is a real success for this perhaps
underrated property. Tasted at the
2005 Bordeaux en primeur
tasting. 17-18/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: A divinely expressive fruit nose here, with juicy
Sauvignon grapefruit and
even a little banana, which is unusual but not actually all that unattractive in
this instance. Good body,
pithy, a little sinewy even, with a firm, full structure. Quite firm and
masculine, showing much better than my tasting earlier in the year. From my
2004 Bordeaux
assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (October 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: A ripe nose,
which is currently displaying more depth than the 2005. It has a gooseberry,
grassy style characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc. Soft, rounded palate, only
moderate acidity which counts against it. It certainly has lots of good flavour.
Nice weight. Just not as crisp or as fresh as I would like. 14/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: Exotic, smoky, spicy, very alluring wine.
Rather open, not fabulously concentrated, but there is a good presence created
by a nice grip and freshness of fruit. Rather gentle. Certainly appealing, which
again should make for very good drinking in the future. From a tasting of 2004 Bordeaux.
16.5+/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) 2004:
This modern-styled wine shows some sweet and buttery oak on the nose, wrapped in
some confit black fruits. Rounded and a little creamily textured, the wine hides
its supple tannins well until the finish. Nice, cool style, with pepper-spice notes.
Attractive. From my
2004 Bordeaux assessment. 16.5/20 (October 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) 2002: A good nose here,
showing a little maturity. Quite meaty, iron notes, gravelly; this has an
appealing, quite classic style. Rather soft, welcoming, rounded entry, but
underneath there are firm tannins. My main criticism is that it is a little
unfocussed, but it has fairly crisp acidity and still shows a little brutal
structure. I think it has really good potential, but it needs time. 16.5+/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2000: A very open, attractive, maturing,
stylish and toasty wine. Rather lean on the palate, not as vibrant as I would
have expected, not very fresh, not sufficient acidity for me. Seems a little
stripped out. Lacks vigour and punch. Nevertheless it displays some appealing,
mature characteristics. Good. From a
Bordeaux tasting with
Bibendum. 15/20 (April 2007)
Les Hauts de Smith Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 1999: Canned peaches on the
nose, with a sherbetty nuance. The is a firm, solid affair rather than one of
delicate elegance. It is quite dry, and peachy, although with rather less fruit
than suggested by the nose. There’s a little grip and a stern, gritty finish.
Will certainly improve in the cellar for two to three years. 15.5+/20 (October 2003)
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