Château Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge - Pessac-Léognan 2003

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe6/12/2018

Shows the heat of the vintage but still maintains a succulent edge to the mix of plum, blackberry and fig preserve flavors. A light apple wood frame holds the finish, revealing a flash of tobacco and fresh earth, but this has pushed the fruit to the fore and is totally accessible now. Drink now through 2025. 10,000 cases made.

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

A beauty of cassis, plum, tobacco leaf and spice, this dark plum/purple-hued, medium to full-bodied 2003 reveals sweet, round, cassis flavors. It has reached full maturity, but shows no signs of decline, and should continue to hold at this plateau for another decade. Although the 2003 is not up to the perfect levels of the 2009 and 2010, it is unquestionably a noteworthy success in a vintage that did not favor Pessac-Leognan.

Le Point

16.50 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe9/17/2009

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90-92 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe9/17/2009

Decanter Magazine

4-5 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe9/17/2009

Jancis Robinson

16 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe9/17/2009

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/24/2006

The opulent, accessible 2003 offers a dense plum/ruby-tinged color and a big, sweet bouquet of creme de cassis, smoked herbs, lead pencil, and subtle wood. It is a deep, fleshy, medium to full-bodied offering with low acidity, a plump, opulent texture, and a heady finish. Enjoy this beauty over the next 15+ years.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2006

Loads of blackberry and licorice with hints of meat and smoked oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and lots of very ripe and exotic fruit. Very exotic and wild. Rich finish. Best after 2009. 8,330 cases made.

La Revue du Vin de France

5 / 20

the9/30/2005

Robe pourpre soutenue aux reflets violets, nez puissant, complexe, mûr et assez exubérant, avec un fruit riche et un fumé intense ; une très belle bouche chaleureuse, charmeuse, avec une grande maturité, du fruit, des tanins solides et de la vigeur en finale. Gros potentiel de garde.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/29/2005

Broad, expansive, and more forward in style than usual, this deep ruby/purple-colored wine offers aromas of scorched earth, espresso roast, sweet plum and black currant fruit, and a hint of white chocolate. Full-bodied, with elegance allied with fleshy tobacco and spice box notes, it is a chewy, fleshy, attractive, pure example of Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. An estate run impeccably by the Cathiard family, Smith-Haut-Lafitte has been one of the bright shining stars of Bordeaux since the mid-1990s.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/29/2004

Surprisingly soft (a characteristic of this low acid, ripe year), the 2003 Smith-Haut-Lafitte displays a deep plum/purple color as well as an attractive perfume of roasted coffee, spice box, earth, and copious quantities of red and black fruits. As it sits in the glass, scents of white chocolate and coffee emerge. With low acidity and ripe fruit (the jammy black currant and cherry characteristics reveal unexpected freshness), this evolved Pessac-Leognan is best consumed between 2005-2014.