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Grand Cru Classé of Pessac-Leognan
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The Château Smith Haut Lafitte is among the most unavoidable names in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, nicknamed the "most Graves of the Graves" by the atypical nature of its terroir. The Domaine was founded in 1365 and named Haut Lafitte at the time because of its geographical location. Then when Georges Smith, a merchant of Scottish origin, acquired it in the eighteenth century, he attached his name to it and built the chartreuse that we know today.
Grand Cru Classé in red in the Graves classification, Château has belonged since 1990 to Daniel and Florence Cathiard, who have been committed for several years to a bio-precision approach that combines innovation and traditional techniques in the vineyard as well as in the winery. The wines are made from an organic culture without chemical inputs, enriched with biodynamic methods that contribute to the expression of the terroir.
The Château Smith Haut Lafitte is based on a 78-hectare vineyard planted on an exceptional Pyrenean gravel hilltop.
- The red grape varieties are 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The grand vin is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, of which 30 to 60% are new. Petit Haut Lafitte is the Second red wine.
- The grape variety in white is 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. The great white wine is aged for 12 to 15 months in French oak barrels, of which 30 to 60% is new wood. Petit Haut Lafitte is the Second white wine.
The Château Smith Haut Lafitte produces wines of their own style. The red wines are powerful, balanced and expressive on the nose as well as the palate, while the white wines are elegant, smooth and taut.
2020, a great vintage where nature was generous. It is an early wine year where the vines broke bud three weeks early. But the most important thing to remember is that it is a sunny vintage, having offered very beautiful harvest conditions, almost like summer: the cool nights coupled with the beautiful temperatures during the day allowed perfect ripening. The white grapes shone by their aromatic potential and their great density.
The year 2020 celebrates the thirtieth harvest of the owners of Smith Haut-Lafitte, Daniel and Florence Cathiard. The label of the vintage is for this occasion dressed with a gold engraving on a black background.
Blend of the 2020 vintage: 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris.
The robe is a brilliant pale yellow color, tinged with discrete green reflections.
The nose reveals a beautiful aromatic freshness, with notes of white flesh fruits, acacia flowers and brioche, enhanced by a hint of citrus.
The attack is lively and elegant, the wine reveals a very nice balance, substance and harmony. In the middle of the mouth, it shows unctuousness and aromatic richness, carried by a beautiful acidity which holds it throughout the length. The finish is mineral and persistent.
Food and wine pairing:
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2020 will go very well with many fish dishes, such as grilled lobster, salmon with sorrel or tartar, turbot with hollandaise sauce or snacked scallops.
It may also be suitable with white meat dishes such as sweetbreads with ceps or Bresse poultry with cream and morels.
For an agreement with cheeses, privilege those of goat and ewe: Selles-sur-cher, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Ossau-Iraty.
For dessert, enjoy it with a citrus sorbet, an orange salad with cinnamon or a pineapple with basil.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2020 is a great Pessac-Léognan that is promised to age well, and is ideal to enjoy between 8 and 10 years of evolution. Its peak will be between 2028 and 2030.
However, it lends itself wonderfully to tasting today. To do so, take care to open and serve the wine when it is at a temperature of about 10°c.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
