Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2018

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, blueberries, camphor, scorched earth, chocolate, and tobacco. It's young and unevolved, yet the purity is off the charts, and it slowly gives up more spice and floral notes with time in the glass. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, it's an incredibly concentrated, powerful wine that has plenty of baby fat covering serious amounts of underlying structure and tannins. It has some up-front appeal from an educational standpoint, yet really needs a decade of bottle age and is going to keep for 30-40 years in cold cellars. It comes closest in my mind to a mix of the 2010 and 2016."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Purity of fruit here with plum and cherry aromas, as well as wet earth and spice. Light stone. Very floral and vivid. Full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are balanced and polished. Savory finish. Incredibly polished and refined. Goes on for minutes. One of the finest Smith-Haut Lafittes I have tasted. Drink after 2024."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new barriques, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and cedar chest, followed by suggestions of baked plums, smoked meats, tar and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate brings sophistication to all that flamboyant fruit with a beautifully styled frame of finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing bright and fruity with loads of minerally sparks. This is a stunning, singular style that is sure to turn heads!"

WEINWISSER: "Undurchsichtiges Purpur. Komplexes Bouquet mit dunklen Schokotrüffeln, exotischen Hölzern und Wildkirsche, dahinter dominikanischer Tabak, frischer tasmanischer Bergpfeffer und Wacholder. Am druckvollen Gaumen mit kaskadenartiger Textur, engmaschiges Tanningerüst und kraftvoller Körper, betörende reife Extrakt(süße). Langanhaltendes Crescendo mit edler Barriquenote, dunklen Beeren und Lakritze. Eine erotische Diva aus Pessac-Léognan die zu beeindrucken weiß!2

DECANTER: "Really settling in to the potential that it showed en primeur, this is tightly coiled right now but still full of plush, carefully placed tannins, with olive paste, cassis and dark chocolate. Powerful but also elegant and understated. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvested 18 September to 10 October. 60% new oak (tasted twice, see below). Straight from the moment you pour this you see, visually and on the aromatics, the density of the wine. This has really held the promise and power that it delivered during en primeur. Subtle and concentrated with dark chocolate, truffle and cassis that gathers weight as it expands outwards through the palate. Mineral pulses along the finish add finesse and balance, as does smoke and crushed stone as it opens further. Yields of just 21 hl/ha for the first wine. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deep, dark almost inky in color, the wine pops with smoke, licorice, wet forest, spice box, cherry, black raspberry, espresso and dark chocolate create an exciting aromatic profile. The wine is rich, deep, dense, concentrated, plush and sensual. There is a lot going on here, but everything is in harmony. Most of the oak is already integrated, due to a reduction of time in the barrel and less toast. This helps show off the purity in the fruits and softens the expression, making this a stellar wine, that will age gracefully for decades. Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, not much wine was produced as yields were less than half of a normal year. This could be my favorite vintage of Smith Haut Lafitte."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Ripe and seductive, with a caressing wave of cassis, plum puree and blackberry compote flavors that hold sway throughout, but not without support from enticing savory, licorice, warm loam and mineral accents along the way. Cashmere finish lets everything sail on and on. Gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Farbkern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Attraktive schwarze Beerenfrucht, Nuancen von dunklen Kirschen und Cassis, etwas Lakritze, zart nussige Edelholzaromen. Saftig, stoffig, extraktsüßer Kern, elegant, tragende, runde Tannine, feine Beerenfrucht im Abgang, zart nach Nougat, mineralisch unterlegt, zeigt Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial. (2020–2060)"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This wine offers rich licorice and blackberry flavors as well as freshness. It has structure and power while also showing fruitiness and acidity that offer poise. The wine's long-term future is assured. Drink from 2026. Organic and biodynamic."