CRITIC REVIEWS
Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the grand vin and a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot aged 16 months in 60% new French oak, the 2017 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is a beauty, with rocking levels of cassis and red currant fruits interwoven with hints of dried herbs, salty minerality, subtle oak, and crushed violets. Concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe tannins, a great mid-palate, and tons of charm and character. This is one of those wines that will be beautiful in just 3-4 years and yet age effortlessly for three decades. Hats off to winemaker Fabien Teitgen for a brilliant effort in the vintage.
Jane Anson
The fragrant, nuanced 2017 is not the most long-living of Bordeaux vintages, but it has a charm that is already evident, with fresh raspberries and grilled plum notes, along with liquorice, sage and gunsmoke. Showcasing the precision and finesse of the winemaking team, this can be approached now with a few hours in a carafe, although it will deepen further over the next decade. The yield in this vintage was 35hl/h after some frost. 60% new oak. Fabien Teitgen technical director.