Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge - Pessac-Léognan 2020

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2023

Exotic and lush in feel, with well-steeped plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors rolling through, scored with hints of espresso crema, dark tobacco and black licorice along the way. Very polished in feel, but with a late flicker of savory and a subtle tug of earth to keep this honest in the end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 10,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98 / 100

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

The impressive dark hue provides the introduction to the equally dark-fruited profile on the nose and palate. The wine is all about its richness, intensity, length and palate presence, which somehow, remains perfectly balanced, with all of its layers of blackberries, smoke, espresso, black cherries, licorice, smoke and chocolate. What is important to pay attention to here is the purity in the fruit, the lift, balance and freshness on the palate, and of course, the length which goes on for close for over 50 seconds! The finish blends power with polished, elegance, creamy tannins and a showy display of sweet, black cherries, plums, chocolate, and spice. As I mentioned in my barrel notes, previously, in some years, it felt like you were tasting a wine made in the cellars. But that is no longer the case at Smith Haut Lafitte, as now, you are clearly tasting a wine produced in the vineyard. Drink from 2025-2055.

Alexandre Ma

97 / 100

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Vinous

97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is every bit as captivating as it was from barrel. Ample, rich and explosive, the 2020 offers up an exciting mélange of dark fruit, chocolate, spice, gravel, leather and dried herbs, with a touch of new oak that adds raciness. This towering, vertical Smith Haut-Lafitte won't be ready to drink for a number of years, but it is super impressive. Even with all of its intensity, the 2020 retains terrific freshness and energy.

Vinous

94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a well-defined bouquet with honeysuckle, jasmine, touches of chalk and citrus fruit, the floral component becoming more expressive with time in the glass. Fine mineralité. The palate is very well balanced with grapefruit and yellow plum, hints of nectarine, bitter lemon joining the chorus line with aeration. It feels long and tensile and it should give up to 20 years' drinking pleasure.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe11/30/2022

Exotic and lush in feel, with well-steeped plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors rolling through, scored with hints of espresso crema, dark tobacco and black licorice along the way. Very polished in feel, but with a late flicker of savory and a subtle tug of earth to keep this honest in the end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 

TASTED

98 / 100

byAndreas Larssonthe7/6/2021

Great purity and intensity with inky dark fruit – blackberry, cassis and floral notes with fine oak integration just a hint of toast. Ample and concentrated palate with fine nuance and layers, powerful yet elegant with a tremendous length and complexity, this will be something really great!

La Revue du Vin de France

94-95 / 100

the6/7/2021

L’expression est profonde, réservée. Elle débute par une vague de crème de cassis ample, large, chaleureuse, mais bascule dans un registre beaucoup plus frais dès le milieu de bouche. L’allonge se fait sur la progression de tanins serrés, évoquant petites baies et peaux épaisses, cassis toujours, mais aussi myrtille et prunelle. Doté pour une belle et longue évolution, cet échantillon tient à la fois du 2018 (vigueur et densité) et du 2019 (proximité du fruit).

Le Figaro

95-97 / 100

the6/2/2021

Un nez très classieux, aux joyeuses notes de fruits et de chocolat noir, avec un soupçon de réglisse. Encore cette pureté en bouche, bâtie sur la parfaite alliance d'une ossature de danseuse et de tannins puissamment structurés. A cela vient s'ajouter une minéralité de silex et de coquille d'huître, ainsi qu'une légère amertume finale.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is a thrilling wine of grandeur and spellbinding beauty. The aromatics literally soar out of the glass, perhaps driven by a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. A vertical, explosive wine, the 2020 possesses tremendous energy. It is a rapturous wine that will delight readers for years to come. A move towards gentler extractions, with less oak impact, allows the purity of the fruit to come through loud and clear. Inky dark cherry, plum, mocha, dried herbs and lavender are all amplified in the 2020, but what I admire most is a total sense of harmony. I can't wait to see how it ages, as evolution has at times been the sole Achilles heel here.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97-100 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

Possibly ranking with the top two or three wines of the vintage, the 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is a blockbuster that reminds me of a hypothetical mix of the 2009 and 2010. Based on a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by a monster bouquet of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, charcoal, and graphite. All of these carry to a full-bodied Pessac-Léognan with flawless balance, loads of ripe, polished tannins, a dense mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It’s one of the gems in the vintage and should be snatched up by readers. Give bottles just 4-6 years in the cellar, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 20-30 years.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte was picked from September 9, the yields 20% down on average due to the dry summer period, and matured in 60% new oak with no vin de presse. This actually blossomed after an hour’s opening, revealing exquisite blackberry, briar, crushed rock and light rose petal scents, very nuanced considering the growing season and the 14.5° alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a very fine line of acidity that keeps this on its tippy-toes. Disarmingly pure, its silky texture is very appealing, likewise the veering toward more red berry fruit lacked with white pepper toward the finish. This may well surpass the previous two vintages. An outstanding effort from winemaker Fabien Teitgen and his team.

Decanter.com

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Powerful on the attack, dense and concentrated at first then brighter on the retro-olfaction with layers of spice, liquorice and flowers. Intense but beautifully precise, with iris and peony aromatics coming in strongly as it opens in the glass. A ton of nuance and complexity, really takes its time, delivering a masterclass in restrained Pessac glamour. Average yields 30hl/ha for the reds. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak. Harvest started on September 9 - 30.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Incredibly dark in color, the aromatics spring from the glass with smoke, tobacco leaf, blackberry, cassis, licorice, flowers, cocoa and cigar box notes. The wine is full-bodied, rich, lush, opulent and intense. All that power is harnessed by freshness, intensity and lift. There is a beautiful sense of purity and vibrancy not found in previous vintages. With textures of silk and cashmere, with layers of perfectly ripe, seductive, black and dark red fruits accompanied by Valrhona chocolate, the seamless finish stays with you, expanding for close to 60 seconds! This is clearly the best wine Smith Haut Lafitte ever produced! The reason is simple. Previous vintages at times felt like they were made in the cellar. Here you taste a wine that was produced in the vineyard. Blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, 14.5% ABV pH of 3.65. The harvest took place September 12 through September 30, yields were only 32 hectoliters per hectare. 97-99

Wine Advocate

98-100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aging in 60% new barriques, the very deep purple-black colored 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte makes an impactful entrance, opening with flamboyant notes of blackcurrant pastilles, chocolate-covered cherries and molten licorice, leading to nuances of ground cloves, woodsmoke, crushed rocks and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit preserves and shimmering mineral sparks, framed by exquisitely ripe and fantastically firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epically long-lasting earthy and savory layers. This is the singular voice of Smith Haut Lafitte at its finest, and wow-oh-wow is it worth a listen. This 2020 has an alcohol of 14.5% with a pH of 3.65. The tannins this year were a little higher than 2018 and 2019. A little less than a third of production went into this grand vin.

Anthocyanes

96-98 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Très beau nez de violette, de mure, de menthol, de fruits frais pour un bouquet profond et dense. Bouche enrobée, texture charnue, très belle trame tannique dans la structure. Le millésime se ressent un peu par des tanins structurants mais l'ensemble reste harmonieux, frais, très bien exécuté et remarquablement élaboré. Parti pour une très longue garde. Dans un très grand classicisme bordelais.

Bernard Burtschy

96-97 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

95-97 / 100

the5/10/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart floral unterlegte reife Herzkirschen, zart nach Cassis und Lakritze, feiner Edelholz- touch, Nuancen von Orangenzesten, einladendes Bukett. Kraftvoll, saftig, reife Pflau- men und Kirschen, süße Textur, präsente, reife Tannine, bleibt sehr lange haften, feine Würze im Nachhall, sicheres Zukunftspotenzial.

My Bettane + Desseauve

96 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

99-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe5/4/2021

So much blackcurrant, graphite and iodine character. Full-bodied. Incredible quality to the tannins. They are polished yet powerful. It’s so long and complete with such depth and toned muscles. Vertical. Very fresh and energetic. Will it be better than the famous 2015? Maybe the best ever. From organically grown grapes. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.