The dash of Sauvignon Gris adds an interesting smoky, spicy character to the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc. Ripe sweet pineapple dominates on the nose and palate whilst the finish is round and honeyed. This is destined to be a great lunchtime drinking wine.
The Wine Advocate - Smith-Haut-Lafitte hit a home run with their red Pessac-Leognan and came very close to perfection with their dry white Graves. Possibly the best dry white the estate has produced since the proprietors, the Cathiards, acquired the property in 1990, this wine exhibits a sensational fragrance of buttered citrus, honeyed melons and a touch of grapefruit, lemon zest and orange rind. It also displays grapefruit on the attack and mid-palate as well as real opulence, terrific acidity and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years. Astonishing!
Jancis - Slightly greener tint than most. Rich and quite complex on the nose. Very broad flavours. Hint of pineapple. Lots of satisfaction and lip smacking with a nice undertow of minerality. Lots there. Tastes as though it had almost been stroked by the winemaker. Quite a bit of alcohol though. Pape Clément??
Wine Spectator - Rich yet balanced with pineapple, sliced green apple and hints of citrus fruit with delicate cream undertones. Full, balanced and beautiful. Aniseed character as well, and fresh.
Decanter - Lemon yellow, very good florality and a slightly exotic touch with fleshiness added to the vibrant fruit and very good vineyard ripeness, a wine of ripeness that will show flnesse and depth.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region.
For many years it was owned by the Bordeaux négociant Eschenauer - in 1990 it was bought by former Olympic skiing champion, Daniel Cathiard. He cut down on the amount of chemicals and herbicides used in the vineyards, and fully modernised the winemaking facilities. The proportion of new oak barrels used in the maturation process was increased and a trio of eminent oenologists (including the ubiquitous Michel Rolland) were hired as consultants.
The 55 hectares of vineyards are located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly. The red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barrels (50% new) for 15-18 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.