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Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2005

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan
ColourWhite
TypeStill
Grape VarietySauvignon Blanc/Semillon

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, it slips confidently out of the glass with notes of creme de cassis, baked plums, cracked black pepper, and pencil shavings, plus wafts of sandalwood and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and juicy, featuring soft acidity and a long, beautifully poised finish. In a sweet spot for drinking now, this can cellar a further 20 years+.

99
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, July 2022
95+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008
96
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, February 2008

Tasted blind. Lightly oxidised, with the fruit sucked out somewhat, but I could enjoy this with food. Rich, oily and iodine. Bit hot on the end.
Drink 2009-2015

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

Rich, fat, exotic wine. Ripe and sweet. A little disjointed with the oak not fully integrated but loads of unctuous fruit. Supple but intense. Drink 2008-2016.

17.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2006
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93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

A terrific example from this impeccably run estate, this 2005 dry white Bordeaux exhibits plenty of citrus oil, honeysuckle, and grapefruit in a medium-bodied, concentrated, crisp yet authoritative style. It should turn out to be a superb example of a white Graves that should age well for two decades. This may be the finest dry white the Cathiards have produced at this estate.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Bright and fruity with apple, lemon and tropical fruit character. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and the texture of a red wine. Goes on and on. Blockbuster. Fabulous. Brilliant and fresh. Long.

95/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2006

Tingle, excitement, very easy to like. Full and only just enough acidity though. Something smoky about this. Quite powerful and persistent. Competent but a bit hot. Drink 2009-12

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2006
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.