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2017 Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

May 26, 2024 - $96

Estimate

RATINGS

97+ The Wine Advocate

...bold expressions of warm redcurrants, baked blackberries and crème de cassis with hints of spice cake, dried roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a fantastic core of densely packed red and black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

97Vinous / IWC

... Rich, sumptuous and opulent...dazzles with total class. Inky blue and purplish fruit, chocolate, licorice, menthol, sage and lavender infuse...striking layers of depth and complexity. A wine of tremendous character and balance...flat-out gorgeous...

97James Suckling

Wonderful depth of fruit here with blackberries, wet earth, mushrooms, dark chocolate and violets. Full-bodied, tight and poised with polished and compressed tannins. Consistent finish. Linear and focused...

97Wine Enthusiast

...distinct in its texture, with a mere hint of spice from wood. What makes it special is the harmony among perfume, acidity, texture and superb fruit...finishes with a touch of saltiness...

96Jeb Dunnuck

...rocking levels of cassis and red currant fruits interwoven with hints of dried herbs, salty minerality, subtle oak, and crushed violets. Concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe tannins, a great mid-palate, and tons of charm and character...

95Wine Spectator

Intense blackberry and raspberry paste flavors run through the middle, flanked by steeped anise, black licorice and roasted apple wood notes. The finish is grounded by a strong graphite spine... A lingering echo of violet adds a graceful accent...

17.5Jancis Robinson

... Ripe and sweetly... Beautifully aromatic...the fruit is firm, fresh and scented. Lithe tannins in a harmonious whole. Long and lovely... Deep, chewy and balanced... Great fruit depth.

PRODUCER

Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte

Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a classified Grand Cru of the Pessac-Leognan appellation. Though it dates to the 14th century, it was an 18th-century owner from Scotland who gave the château its name, Smith. In 1990 the estate was purchased by Daniel Cathiard, a former French Olympic skier and heir to a French supermarket chain. With his wife Florence, a former international advertising executive, he runs the 170-acre estate. About 10,000 cases of red wine are produced each year, and 3,000 cases of white. The two second labels are Le Petit Haut-Lafitte and Les Hauts de Smith, both made with estate fruit. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “since its acquisition by the Cathiards, this property has become one of Bordeaux’s success stories, producing elegant, flavorful, complex, very complete wines.”

REGION

France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan was created in 1987 from the northern part of the left bank Graves appellation. Before then it was simply part of Graves, or sometimes it was called Haut-Graves. Unlike many other Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is known for both red and dry white wines, although its reds are more famous. The appellation includes ten communes and the area’s most important châteaux, including Château Haut-Brion, the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. There are 2,964 acres of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan and 16 classified growth estates. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. White grapes grown are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a little Muscadelle. Pessac-Léognan is considered to have the best terroir of the greater Graves region.