| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
Clear and vivid with sliced lemons and green apples on the nose. Flows through to a medium to full body, tangy acidity and a long and delicious finish. Give this super white at least two or three years to come together in the bottle.
The 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc doesn’t have the weight of it younger brother, yet is still gorgeous on all accounts. Caramelized limes, citrus oil and exotic floral notes all emerge from this fresh, lively 2014 that has good concentrated and notable acidity. I love its texture, it’s impeccably balanced, and should cruise for a decade or more, although there’s no harm drinking today. 2018 - 2033
This is long and almost lush in feel, with creamed peach and yellow apple fruit taking the lead, but there's plenty of verbena, honeysuckle and star fruit notes imparting lift and cut. A long finish of quinine and mirabelle plum imparts length. A beauty. Drink now through 2023. 2,500 cases made.
This increasingly impressive château, which now ranks alongside Bordeaux's very best, makes equally delicious reds and whites. This Sauvignon dominated blend is pale and restrained, with delicate oak, tangy, pithy acidity and undertones of stone fruit and vanilla spice. The finish is long and noble.
The 2014 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc is now more expressive than when I tasted it from barrel. It offers engaging scents of citrus fruit, Mirabelle and orange pith that gradually gathers intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, finely tuned citrus fruit married with Clementine and yellow plum, seguing into a spicy finish that lingers in the mouth. It is a delicious, complex Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc that should age well over the next 12-15 years. Drink Date 2018-2032
The Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2014 is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% each of Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris matured in 50% new oak. Curiously, it seems less expressive than the Le Petit Haut Lafitte and Les Haut de Smith at the moment. This is very taciturn in comparison but leaving it aside for 10-15 minutes it finally reveals chalk and oyster shell scents. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp acidity and sharp citric fruit, but it feels quite linear on the finish, does not really deliver the knock-out punch that other vintages deliver. Hopefully it will muster something more to say throughout the remainder of its barrel maturation.
This is a phenomenal young white with wonderful depth and finesse. Amazing aromas and flavors of lavender, lemon peels, sliced apples, lilacs and minerals. Full body, intense fruit and a long, long finish. Superb depth and intensity.
