2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2023 En Primeur got a slightly higher score in my SHL white tastings this year, but for the Wines of the Year, I try to prioritise ones that you can actually get hold of and drink over the festive season, and this remains an exceptional choice. It's a wine that I just love to share, with its citrus grip that softens to creamy, fleshy stone fruits, with plenty of textural interest. Nectarine, white mango, gunsmoke, white pepper, sage, mouthwatering and keeps you coming back for more. 29hl/ha yield, 50% new oak barrels for ageing, with a few months back in stainless steel tanks before bottling. Harvest August 20 to September 9, one of the earliest on record. Certified organic as of 2019 in the vineyard, fully biodynamic farming as of this 2020 vintage. Technical director Fabien Teitgen.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc has an appealing, well-defined bouquet, the oak neatly integrated, with a touch more mineralité than its peers. The palate is well balanced with a lovely, slightly viscous texture on the entry. Hints of nougat and white pepper build in the glass, and there’s plenty of energy through the long finish. This is very classy. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
A strong effort, the 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of nectarine, pear, lemongrass, Sauvignon botanicals, toasted bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with ripe acids and chalky structuring extract. It's not quite as vibrant and precise as the 2019, but it's a success nonetheless.
About the producer
Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte is one of the leading lights of Pessac-Léognan today – all thanks to Daniel and Florence Cathiard, who took over the property in 1990 and have since transformed the estate, converting to biodynamics and crafting wines of increasing finesse.