2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
Buying options
Tasting notes
Candied peach, white apricot and peach blossom mingle on the nose, along with acacia, lemon peel, white pear and a faint musky note. A soft and juicy approach to the palate evolves with more herbal notes of chervil, grass and lime zest emerging. Mouth-coating and round, this is broad and dense with full, ripe stone fruit, countered by a spine of sappy acidity. A saline, savoury edge leads into a long finish. The freshness on this 2023 balances the rich fruit perfectly. Fermented and aged in 50% new oak. Blend: 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, 5% Semillon
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% each Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon, the 2023 Blanc from Smith Haut Lafitte reveals aromas of white fruits, spices, confit citrus and spring flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and dense, it is built around a fleshy core of fruit framed by lively acidity and a refined, gastronomic bitterness that brings precision to the finish. It's a classic at this address.
Checking in as 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, and 5% Semillon, the 2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is just gorgeous, offering white peach, honeyed orange, brioche, mint, and chalky minerality on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has bright acidity, a lively, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, salty finish that makes you salivate. It will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have two decades of prime drinking. Drink 2028-2045.
One of the great whites of Bordeaux, the Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is stellar in 2023. Soaring aromatics and sculpted fruit soar from the glass. Hints of tangerine oil, acacia, mint, marzipan and lemon confit open over time. The Grand Vin deftly balances power, tension and fruit presence.
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.