Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2020

Lastly, and pure perfection in white wine, the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is based on 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon that was aged in 50% new oak. This massively rich, concentrated, powerful white offers a heavenly nose of honeyed flowers, orange marmalade, lemon grass, and toasted bread, with a building sense of salinity and minerality that shows on the finish. Drink this stunningly rich, layered, concentrated 2020 over the coming two decades.

Aromas of grapefruit, melon, ripe apple, and lemon. Lots of lemon curd as well. Full and layered with plenty of fine phenolics. Energetic and vivid. Minerally and lightly chewy at the end. From organic grapes. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.

The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is composed of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, aged in 50% new oak. It needs a little coaxing to bring out fragrant notions of fresh grapefruit, green mango, and nectarines, giving way to hints of honeysuckle, mandarin peel, cedar, and paraffin wax. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers intense citrus and tropical fruit flavors with a silky texture and crisp line defining the fruit, finishing on a lingering chalky note.

A strong effort, the 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of nectarine, pear, lemongrass, Sauvignon botanicals, toasted bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with ripe acids and chalky structuring extract. It's not quite as vibrant and precise as the 2019, but it's a success nonetheless.

This brings together depth and power, concentrated and hugely saline right from the start. Rich in texture, with layers of stone fruits from nectarines to white peaches, with a steely edge that squeezes through the fruit, holds interest and adds persistency. A delicious white wine with the point of bitterness on the finish adding another dimension. Average yields 29hl/ha for the whites. 50% new oak. Harvest started August 20, one of earliest on record, through to September 9th. Certified organic (AB) as of 2019 in the vineyard.

Drinking Window 2022 - 2036

Full bottle 1,355 g. Cask sample taken 22 April. 90% very ripe Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris. Harvest started 20 August but only ever until 11 am. Then they stopped to wait for acid levels to drop a little. Plot-by-plot picking. 45 parcels in 11 ha. 50% new oak. Pioneer of biodynamics and sustainability in Bordeaux.
Hugely seductive nose as usual. None of the obvious skinniness of Sauvignon Blanc. This is rich yet tangy on the nose and tastes as though it has quite a portion of Sémillon in the blend. Lanolin richness on the nose. Some richness on palate entry gives way to really fantastic vibrancy on the palate. Very much in the house style and a real triumph. Hint of mint. Already pretty gorgeous. Long.
Drink 2022 – 2032

The yields this year are 29hl/ha, with the blend 90% Sauvignon Blanc and equal parts Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. The wine will spend a year in 50% new french oak with frequent lees stirring. Creamy and generous on the nose, with lemon curd, peach and apricot. The palate is glossy and ripe, fleshy peaches and amalfi lemons dominating the fruit core. The oak is a prominent feature, but it still finds balance thanks to the intensity of fruit, which lingers on a long and fine finish.