1997 Smith Haut Lafitte
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Tasting notes
Very firm crimson and, like the Canon, some real bottle development on the nose. This would have been made quite early on in the Cathiards’ tenure – pre Rolland by the taste of it (although see your turn). I really like that lift and minerally life. It’s a steal at the price. You’d have to be careful what you served with it – nothing too forceful – but this is a real (old-fashioned?) claret lover’s drink. Some neatness and length. Lovely transparency. This does taste like Graves. Hallelujah! (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Splendid aromatics of tobacco, ripe black currant fruit, minerals, and toasty oak emerge from this dark ruby-colored effort. Quintessentially elegant, with sweet fruit on the attack, medium body, and no hard edges, this smoothly-textured wine can be drunk now as well as over the next 10-12 years.
A wine with lovely tobacco, toasted oak and berry character. Medium in body, with silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Smith-Haut-Lafitte is really doing well. Drink now through 2004. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2000
Splendid aromatics of tobacco, ripe black currant fruit, minerals, and toasty oak emerge from this dark ruby-colored effort. Quintessentially elegant, with sweet fruit on the attack, medium body, and no hard edges, this smoothly-textured wine can be drunk now as well as over the next 10-12 years. Apr 2000, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte is one of the leading lights of Pessac-Léognan today – all thanks to Daniel and Florence Cathiard, who took over the property in 1990 and have since transformed the estate, converting to biodynamics and crafting wines of increasing finesse.