Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge - Pessac-Léognan 2017 6b11bd6ba9341f0271941e7df664d056

Le Point

16,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe6/20/2018

Fruits noirs, cerise, bouche souple, veloutée, tanins bien fondus, présentation soignée, séduisant et élégant à la fois.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/12/2018

The 2017 Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, fermented in oak tanks and aging in 60% new French barrels. It has a fresher, more lively style than normal but shows a beautiful purity and clarity in its crème de cassis, graphite, spring flower, and gravelly mineral-like aromas and flavors. Its acidity is nicely integrated, it has fine, ripe tannin, and a balanced style that’s going to evolve nicely. It’s certainly a terrific wine from winemaker and director Fabien Teitgen.

WeinWisser

18,5 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/31/2018

60% Ca­bernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1 `⁾/0 Petit Verdot. Gra-natrubin mit leuchtender Mitte. Fili­granes Cassisbouquet mit Wachotder und verführerischen Watderdbeeren. lm zweiten Ansatz heller Tabak, Ko-kosschokonoten und dunkle Edelha-zer. Am krâftigen Gaumen punktet er mit stützenden Muskeln, guter Struk-tur und einer bestechenden Prâzision. lm langen, gebündelten Finale betôrt ein volter Korb mit reifen Watdbeeren und enorm viel Extrakt, Hat ein gi-gantisches Lagerpotenzial. Beweist die Extraklasse von Fabien Teitgen und seinem Team. Das ist dieses Jahr für mich der beste Rotwein aus Léognan!                 
18.5/20 2028 - 2050

Vinifera

92-94 / 100

byJacques Perrinthe5/28/2018

Dialectique où se mêlent agrumes très mûrs, vanille et une texture douce. La bouche est ample, suave, garnie et roborative, elle gagnera en nuances à l’élevage.

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe5/27/2018

Le Figaro

18,5 / 20

byBernard Burtschythe5/22/2018

Vinous

94-97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/15/2018

The 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte is easily one of the highlights of the vintage. Dense, unctuous and impeccably balanced, the 2017 exudes depth from start to finish. Charcoal embers, graphite, menthol, licorice and sage add myriad shades of nuance to the plush, unctuous dark raspberry jam fruit. This is a super impressive showing from Smith Haut Lafitte. I tasted the 2017 two times. On both occasions, the wine showed tremendous aromatic and flavor depth.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-97 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/11/2018

On the far edge of opaque with dark purple accents glimmering in a submerged cavern of blood red, espresso, smoke, black fruits, wet earth, licorice, truffle and dark chocolate introduce themselves instantly. Full-bodied, plump and glamorous with serious density, length and character, the tannins are ripe but this wine is going to need time in the cellar even with all its ripe, supple fruits. The wine was made from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The harvest took place September 11 through September 29 and the Grand Vin represents just 40% of the harvest. Due to the frost, the yields here are very low – sadly, only 30 to 35 hectoliters per hectare.

La Revue du Vin de France

17,5-18 / 20

byPhilippe Maurangethe5/10/2018

Vinous

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/1/2018

The 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte was not affected by frost and is therefore a classic blend matured in 60% new oak. The bouquet demands a little encouragement from the glass this year, eventually opening with floral scents, more iris than violet, flanked by blackberry and bilberry. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin that comes across just a little chalky in style. This feels very cohesive and comes replete with a detailed and nuanced finish that might lack the flair and volume of the 2016, but it is certainly sustained and persistent. Give this four to five years in bottle and subject to optimal barrel maturation this may well land at the top of my banded score.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/27/2018

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte opens slowly to reveal complex notes of crushed black cherries, black currants and wild blueberries with touches of lavender, pencil lead, cast iron pan and a waft of aniseed. Medium-bodied and elegant with great freshness and quiet intensity, it has firm, grainy tannins and a sustained yet ethereal mid-palate, with a long, energetic, mineral-laced finish.

Decanter.com

94 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2018

This sits a long way above the second wines this year, and here they are very close to recent successes, with excellent juice running right through the cassis, bilberry, liquorice, dark chocolate and charcoal notes. It's an extremely classical, sculpted vintage with a lovely grilled edge that gives a gourmet, confident feel. It has a velvety texture and finely-placed, flexible tannins that are clearly going to age well. This is a real success, and a testament to their attention to detail - for example, they had 105 pickers in 2016 but 160 pickers in 2017, because with the September rain they wanted to go more quickly. Half of the vineyard is now farmed biodynamically, with full conversion expected for 2020. 60% new oak. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend given.

Drinking Window 2025 - 2040

Bettane & Desseauve

17,5 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/23/2018

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/17/2018

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2018

Bold tannins and powerful fruits give this perfumed wine concentration and a dense texture. It is rich in pure black fruit-flavors, with bright acidity that will allow for aging. The power and the structure of this wine are impressive, while not losing the crisp fruitiness of the vintage. Drink from 2024.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/6/2018

This is a solid Smith for the vintage with blackberry and blackcurrant character. Full to medium body, firm and silky tannins and a lingering finish. Excellent potential here.

Wine Spectator

91-94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/4/2018

This has a good core of dark plum and blackberry fruit, with a twinge of licorice snap mixed in. A hint of bramble on the finish, with the vintage’s refined, fresh acidity as well.—J.M.