CHÂTEAU SMITH HAUT LAFITTE 2016

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2016
Grand Cru Classé de Graves

“Pure perfection in a glass, the 2016 offers notes of cherry, liquorice, smoke, graphite, plum and eucalyptus. It is fresh and racy. This is a perfectly balanced wine, full of energy and freshness, juicy and fleshy on the palate, with a classic tannic frame and a long yet persistent finish. Drink it over the coming two or three decades. Bravo!”  – 100/100, Decanter

VARIETIES:  65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, age of vines – 48 years old
REGION: Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
AGEING: 18 months in barrels (60% are new barrels produced in our in-house cooperage), with aging on lees. After being racked a single time, wine is aged according to its profile
GUARDING POTENTIAL: Enjoy now or will cellar well up to 20 years ±, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%
SERVE: Serve at 16ºC – 18ºC, decant it at least 4 to 5 hours before tasting
FITS TO: Pairs perfectly Agneau de lait confit grillé, Roasted Duck Breast with Pecan Purée, Pan-Seared Ribeye with Smoky Chimichurri, Wild Boar Ragu with Cheesy Polenta
CRITICS SCORES: D/100, WS/98, RP/98, JS/97, WE/97, JD/97

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Grand Cru Classé de Graves,  Pessac-Léognan Appellation | Range | Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2016

Praise for the balance in life
Everything comes from the soil. At Château Smith Haut Lafitte, we do our utmost to respect nature and biodiversity, both in the vineyard and cellar. Château Smith Haut Lafitte plants vines propagated from our own vineyards thanks to our vine nursery on Ile de Lalande. This island protected ecosystem enables us to maintain the vine’s genetic diversity, as well as the complexity of our wines.

In Graves territory
Surrounded by forests, hedges, and hives, the 87 hectares, one block estate is standing alone as a green island. Covered with Gravels « Graves Gunziennes », the vines are digging at more than 6 meters deep their resources, and the grapes benefit from the stones’ miror effect from the sun for a perfect ripening. The soil gives the wines extraordinary caracteristics. Whites are subtly « smoked », reds are smooth and complex.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016 is a deep, nearly black hue with a wonderfully complex nose combining refined aromas of blackberry, black cherry and raspberry and delicate floral notes and mild spices with touches of star anise, smoke and flint… On the palate, it is powerful, elegant and undeniably seductive. The attack is balanced with wonderful concentration, density and freshness. Offering fullness, concentration, power, refinement, freshness, complexity and intense aromas of fruit, flowers, spices and smoke, the 2016 vintage of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is a masterpiece.