Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Cru Classé Pessac Léognan, 2017
Florence Cathiard referred to the 2016 vintage as 'the catastrophe that never was… everything turned out well in the end!’ She could have copied and pasted last year's repot for the 2017 - and we could just as easily have copied our notes from last year. This is yet another very smart Smith Haut Lafitte. This estate continues to produces sexy wines, but always preserves a sense of modesty and charm. The 2017 is fashioned from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and will be aged in 60% new oak barrels. This is so seductive, with lavish griotte notes, perfumed cassis, hints of gravel, cedar and tobacco. The palate is awash with pure black cherry, Kirsch and crème de cassis interspersed with liquid minerals and stones. Texturally this comes into its own. There is a generosity and decadence to the fruit. It is well delineated and focussed yet broad and mouth coating with beautifully integrated velour tannins laced with pure fruit. A beautifully crafted and thoroughly enchanting Smith Haut Lafitte.
critic reviews
One of the many bottles that I have enjoyed this year that make me want to recommend the 2017 vintage for drinking right now. It's not going to be the most long-living of Bordeaux years, but this fragrant, nuanced bottle has a charm that is already evident, with fresh raspberries and grilled plum notes, along with liquorice, sage and gunsmoke. Showcasing the precision and finesse of the winemaking team, this can be approached now with a few hours in a carafe, although it will deepen further over the next decade. The yield in this vintage was 35hl/h after some frost. 60% new oak. Fabien Teitgen technical director. Tasted at the château during the Connoisseur Week, and again over supper at my house later in the year.
The red 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It bursts with bold notes of crushed blackberries, black cherry preserves, and warm cassis, plus hints of Indian spices, mossy tree bark, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impressive concentration, framed by firm, grainy tannins and fantastically balanced freshness, finishing long and minerally.
The 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte has an open and expressive bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, pressed iris petals mixed with subtle marine notes, iodine and seaweed. It is not as powerful as the 2018 but it is nicely focused. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp tannins and vibrant black fruit. There is superb energy towards the graphite and mint infused finish. There is a lot of energy in this 2017 that actually renders it quite approachable, though I would prefer to leave bottles down in the cellar for several years.