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2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan

2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan

99JA
99JS
98JD
97TWI
96RP
96VN
96WE
95DC
95WS
$144.99

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Availability by location

Culver City: 19 | New York City: 5

99

Jane Anson

Reviewed April 2022
Sink into this concentrated, textured, creamy wine, full of liqourice, blueberry, cassis and black cherry fruits, then let the pencil lead, cigar box and campfire notes spiral upwards out of the glass as it opens. Clearly shows why the signature acidity of Bordeaux, even in the best vintages, is just so welcome - it gives focus and a taut, confident feel through the core of the wine, and clearly suggests how well it will age. 60% new oak. Tasted in September last year, same impression of an exceptional wine. In organic conversion, Fabien Teitgen technical director, harvest from September 17 for the reds.

Professional Reviews

99

James Suckling

Review Date: 02/2022
Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine.

98

Jeb Dunnuck

Review Date: 04/2022
Reminding me a little of the 2009, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has a rich, powerful style in its cassis, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit as well as its chalky minerality, smoked earth, tobacco, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this rich, unctuously textured beauty has terrific concentration, sweet tannins, and the vintage's hallmark elegance and finesse. One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age (or a healthy decant) and will evolve for 30+ years if stored properly. Not enough can be said about what proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, as well as winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate.

97

The Wine Independent

Review Date: 05/2023
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is deep garnet-purple in color. It jumps from the glass with bold notions of warm plums, juicy blackberries, and fragrant soil, plus hints of baking spices, lilacs, and Ceylon tea. The full-bodied palate has muscular fruit with a firm texture of grainy tannins, countered by lively acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. (LPB) 97+

Staff Reviews

KK
Kerry Kennell

Kerry Kennell

Review Date: 03/2026
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan is one of those wines that makes you feel like you should be better dressed. When a colleague at work said, "here, try this," I made the mistake of not saving it for last because the wines that followed paled in comparison, making it nearly impossible to be objective. As soon as I raised the glass to my nose, I knew I was about to sip pure sophistication. Aromas of freshly turned soil, blackberries, and beef consommé made me stand a little straighter. The palate is confident and richly layered with soft waves of blackberry, cassis, an alluring umami note, tobacco, black tea, fresh soil after a rain, and a lick of graphite. Time stopped and I felt momentarily embraced. In a word: exquisite.

Notes

96 points, Antonio Galloni for Vinous: "The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is a total stunner. All the elements come together so gracefully. Silky and pliant, the Blanc has terrific depth, but it doesn't feel at all like a wine from a warm vintage. Orchard fruit, mint, fig, lemon oil and white flowers flesh out in a silky, nuanced Blanc that is captivating and exquisite from the very first taste. The 2019 is simply fabulous. Tasted two times. Terrific." (1/2023)

Details

TypeRed Wine
VarietalCabernet Sauvignon and Blends
OriginPessac-Leognan/Graves, Bordeaux, France
Bottle Size750 mL
SKU1649940
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