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Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge 2018 (750ML)

$134.89 $119.00
(You save $15.89)
SKU:
SMITHHARB8B
 ?  Estimated Time of Arrival:
In Stock
Available Inventory:
2
Quantity:

Other Details

Vintage:
2018
Format:
750ML
Region:
Left Bank
Appellation:
Pessac-Leognan
Stock Status:
In Stock
ABV:
14+%

Critic Scores, Reviews & Descriptions

99 JD / 98 JS / 98 DE 97+ WA / 97 WS / 97 WCI / 96 FS / 96 WE / 17.5 JR

#20 Jeb Dunnuck Top 100 2021
#42 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2021

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.-Jed Dunnuck

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. - James Suckling

There is a luxurious, languorous feel right from the very first nose here, which continues step for step all the way through the palate. It's a highly impressive wine with an amazing texture - something that is starting to mark Smith Haut Lafitte out every year. Notes of dark chocolate, black cherry and liquorice stretch out through the rich palate, displaying tension and texture. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvested 18 September to 10 October. 60% new oak. - Jane Anson, Decanter

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! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

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. 10,000 cases made. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

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.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider
 
Dark ruby, deep colour core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Attractive blackberry fruit, nuances of dark cherry and cassis, some liquorice, subtle nutty aromas of oak. Juicy, full-bodied, pronounced in fruit core, elegant, supporting, round tannins, fine berry fruit on the finish, subtle hints of nougat, mineral underpinnings, shows length, sure certain ageing potential. (2020-2060).-Peter Moser, Falstaff
 
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.-Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Black-hearted with dark cherry rim. Surprisingly sweet and fragrant on the nose, with both black and dark-red fruit. Beautifully sculpted and textured tannins, still very compact but smooth and shapely, all filled out by the rich, dry, scented cassis fruit flavours. Elegant already but should have a long life ahead. Impressive persistence. A beauty in its balance.-Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson

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