Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac Léognan, 2022

The blend is 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% each Sauvignon Gris and Semillon, and the fermentation and élevage was in a mixture of 50% each new barrels and second-fill barrels. A nose of perfumed talc, meringue laced with mint flowers and lemon, with herbal notes too, suggestive of rosemary and lemon balm, and a finely crushed, powdery layer of minerals. It has a real presence on the palate, showing cohesion and definition, with good grip, plenty of energy and drive. A delicate bitterness adds to the mix, but it has acidity as well, albeit a modest degree, and it struggles a little in the broad and flavoursome generosity of the vintage. A big and broad-shouldered style, fresh and bright, with a higher alcohol of course, but with balance too. This will keep, thanks to those phenolics, but it will never have the tension of a truly great vintage. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.

The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc—which Fabien Teitgen told me was not picked too early like other châteaux—has a very fine bouquet of mainly yellow fruit, Anjou pear and beeswax scents, as a fennel tincture gradually surfaces in the glass. The palate is well balanced with lemon curd, white peach and a hint of mango. It shows fine delineation and a little more tension than its peers, representing one of the best examples in a vintage that did not really favor dry whites.

This has structure and depth, serious tension, with slate, vibrant citrus, graphite, white pear, apricot, aniseed, liquorice, star anise, creamy but with a slice of steel that cuts through it. Brilliant quality, this is a standout white. Harvest August 18 to September 2. 50% new oak. Technical director Fabien Teitgen.