2015 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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2015 Château Smith Haut Lafitte  (Pessac-Léognan) 98 With a depth of color impossible to miss, the wine opens with smoke, licorice, blackberry, cassis, and wet forest aromatics. Rich, fleshy and concentrated with all the right stuff, the wine is ripe, sensuous, silky and polished, The finish delivers smoked fruits, ripe tannins and length of flavor, which keeps right on going. This will age seamlessly for decades. With bottle age, this could score higher, as it develops. With a depth of color impossible to miss, the wine opens with smoke, licorice, blackberry, cassis, and wet forest aromatics. Rich, fleshy and concentrated with all the right stuff, the wine is ripe, sensuous, silky and polished, The finish delivers smoked fruits, ripe tannins and length of flavor, which keeps right on going. This will age seamlessly for decades. With bottle age, this could score higher, as it develops. 10,525 Views   Tasted May 21, 2018  • Buy This Wine For The Lowest Price DOWNLOAD TASTING NOTE | Post to A seriously great wine from Smith Haut Lafitte. The wine has taken on additional nuances over the past year. It has filled out, softened and expanded. Dense, plush and character filled, this is one of the top wines ever produced at the property. A seriously great wine from Smith Haut Lafitte. The wine has taken on additional nuances over the past year. It has filled out, softened and expanded. Dense, plush and character filled, this is one of the top wines ever produced at the property. 9,962 Views   Tasted Jul 12, 2017 With a good depth of color, this wine pops with black cherry liqueur, blueberry, licorice, smoke, truffle, cigar box and espresso notes in the bouquet. A fine purity of fruit with sweetness and ripe berries give you a wine that is not as flashy as 2009 or 2010, but there is focus, finesse, elegance, polished tannins, concentration and intensity of flavor, with the ability to age and improve. The wine was made from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Reaching 13.75% ABV with a pH of 3.7, the harvest took place from September 22 to October 12 and the Grand Vin represents just 40% of the harvest. Because 2015 is the 25th vintage for the Cathiard family, and it's the 650th year that wine has been made at the estate, the wine will be placed in a special bottle with a sharp looking black and gold label! 96 - 98 Pts With a good depth of color, this wine pops with black cherry liqueur, blueberry, licorice, smoke, truffle, cigar box and espresso notes in the bouquet. A fine purity of fruit with sweetness and ripe berries give you a wine that is not as flashy as 2009 or 2010, but there is focus, finesse, elegance, polished tannins, concentration and intensity of flavor, with the ability to age and improve. The wine was made from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Reaching 13.75% ABV with a pH of 3.7, the harvest took place from September 22 to October 12 and the Grand Vin represents just 40% of the harvest. Because 2015 is the 25th vintage for the Cathiard family, and it's the 650th year that wine has been made at the estate, the wine will be placed in a special bottle with a sharp looking black and gold label! 96 - 98 Pts 9,848 Views   Tasted Apr 23, 2016

When to Drink Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte needs time before it begins to show its true character. Smith Haut Lafitte needs at least 8-10 years of aging in good vintages until it is ready to be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.

Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12 and 30 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.

The white wine of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.

In July 2011, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte purchased a majority of the vineyard property belonging to the neighboring estate, Chateau Le Thil. 11.6 hectares of vines and 8.2 hectares of verdant parkland went to Smith Haut Lafitte. Much of that land is located next to Smith Haut Lafitte and was actually part of the original estate that was owned by Lodi Duffour Dubergier.

In essence, this reunited the original vineyards. Le Thil belonged to his nephew, from whom the de Laitre family is descended. The remaining vineyard land was sold to Les Carmes Haut Brion.

In July 2014, the Cathiard family continues expanding their holdings in Bordeaux with the purchase of Chateau Beauregard in Pomerol and Bastor Lamontagne in Sauternes. They sold Bastor Lamontagne in 2019. The Pomerol and Sauternes properties were purchased in a partnership between the Moulin Family, the owners of the large, French chain of Galerie Lafayette stores, and the Cathiard Family.

In 2019, The Cathiard family continued expanding their holdings when they purchased Flora Springs in Napa Valley, in the Rutherford appellation. Floral Springs is a historic property, founded in 1885.

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