| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
A stunning wine with hints of pineapple, caramelized citrus, mandarin oranges, smoky figs and hazelnuts, this is a full-bodied, rich, superb white Graves from the Cathiard family. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The nose is very refined with scents of apple-blossom, grapefruit, lanolin and orange sorbet. Fine delineation but very composed. The palate is well balanced with good acidity, quite taut at the moment with a precise, mineral-rich finish. Excellent. Tasted October 2011.
Wonderfully complex nose in this white with ripe lemon, green papaya, lime peel and lots of ripe yellow peach. Full and focused, it offers a beautiful ripe acidity and silky texture on the palate. Long and precise finish with lots of flowers and mineral. What a wonderful white wine! Drink or hold.
Exotically rich on the nose. Vibrant and a bit loose. Easy to appreciate and then chewy. Should give early pleasure. Bone-dry finish. Very Graves. Tingly and exciting.
11 hectares at Smith Haut Lafitte are planted with white varieties - 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. Elevage of the white wine is in 50% new oak. Lovely grapefruit flavours with a rounded, lanolin texture. Sexy and plump but a great cut of acidity keeps it fresh and balanced.
The 2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is drinking brilliantly, with a mature yet still fresh and vibrant style. Crushed citrus, mint, honeyed lime, and mandarin orange zest all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated, layered dry white Bordeaux. It blossoms with time in the glass, has beautiful mid-palate depth and concentration, and a remarkable sense of freshness and precision. Readers looking to understand what truly great, mature Bordeaux Blanc is all about should seek this beauty out. I love it today, yet suspect it will evolve for another 10-15 years.
The nose is packed with pineapple underpinned by fresh grapefruit lots of complexity. The richness at the start of the palate gives way to gooseberry crispness lovely racy and mineral fresh. The finish is lovely and long.
Exuberant expression of citrus fruits, spicy and quite exotic, full and fleshy with the acidity and minerality adding depth and structure, probably the best SHL white, combining as usual robustness and finesse. Drink 2013-20.
Another phenomenal wine from the Cathiards, this rich 2010 exhibits lemon custard, melon, tropical fruit and a touch of smoky oak. It should last 20+ years.
The Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2010 is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon picked from 2nd September. At the Château it has a rather understated, almost earthy nose at first with dried white flowers and a mote of chalk dust, but at the UGC it is much more vivacious with a silver thread of citrus peel. The palate is well-balanced on the entry, fine citrus lemon, grapefruit and just a hint of spice, good weight and quite linear towards the finish but great persistency. Very fine, but showing much better under the sunshine. Tasted April 2011.
