Château Smith Haut Lafitte
AOC Pessac-Leognan
Growth of Graves
Situated in the commune of Martillac, just near Bordeaux city, Château Smith Haut Lafitte das a 30 year old history. It was bought in 1990 by the couple of skiers Florence and Daniel Cathiard who had invested a lot to perpetuate the wine’s tradition of excellence.
The property has chosen the strategy of preserving biodiversity and practices nowadays the organic winegrowing. In order to achieve this, the team of SHL constantly study and experiment with new technologies on behalf of our winegrowing philosophy, which can be summed up in the expression “Bio-Precision”.
Situation
56 hectares of which are planted with grape varieties
Grape varieties
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc
The vines are planted on a gravelly plateau named Lafitte, consisted of günz gravel
Soil
The vines are planted on a gravelly plateau named Lafitte, consisted of günz gravel
Ageing
18-20 months in the barrels (50% new oak barrels)
Available Vintages
Alcohol
14°
Blending
Cabernet Sauvignon 60, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 4%
Description
Excellent aromatic concentration of the notes of small black fruits. Large and full, the wine elegantly structured by velvety tannins envelops the palate in a succession of flavors, stretching out into a deliciously persistent length. A superb vintage.
Tasting
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm redcurrants, baked blackberries and crème de cassis with hints of spice cake, dried roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a fantastic core of densely packed red and black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.” – Wine Advocate
