Château Smith Haut Lafitte blanc - Pessac-Léognan 2013

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 28/10/2016

The 2013 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc offers a payload of grapefruit, guava and melon aromas that are beautifully integrated with the oak. The palate is fresh and vibrant, very harmonious with a hint of sour lemon that complements that subtle tropical tone. It slips down the throat with ease, completing a gorgeous white Bordeaux. If you are intent on buying just one wine in this off-vintage, this is the one I would load up on.

Wine Spectator

96 / 100

le 31/03/2016

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2016

Dense yet agile Smith with dried apple, lemon, aniseed, and gunpowder aromas and flavors. Some stones too. Full body, very racy and fine. 90% savuignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/08/2014

This spectacular dry white is usually 90% Sauvignon Blanc and the balance Sauvignon Gris. Copious notes/aromas of peach, honeyed grapefruit, spring flowers and a caramelized melony aspect can be found in this very elegant, pure, complex dry white. Medium-bodied, crisp, fresh and deep, this 2013 can evolve for 12-15 years or more.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-94 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 16/05/2014

(90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon and 5% sauvignon gris; 50% new oak):  Bright straw yellow.  Captivating aromas of tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, white flowers and aromatic herbs.  Bright and juicy on the palate, with a laser beam of acidity lifting the bitter grapefruit, yellow melon and lemon verbena flavors.  Finishes long, clean and savory, with sneaky concentration to the flint and saline nuances.  One of the best white wines from this estate in memory.  Technical director Fabien Teitgen noted that "in 2103, our ability to identify ripeness levels in our different plots and to monitor leaf growth and development via satellite imagery allowed us to harvest and then vinify individual parcels in small wooden vats at the best possible point in time, which was a big help."  Teitgen also believes that the optical sorting machines were especially useful in 2013 and help explain the outstanding quality of this 2013 white.

timatkin.com

95 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 07/05/2014

This isn’t far behind Haut-Brion Blanc in terms of quality in 2013, and it’s a tenth of the price. Combining Sauvignon Blanc with 5% each of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris, it’s a subtle, leesy, toasty, waxy blend with bright minerality and tangy acidity.

matthewjukes.com

17 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 23/04/2014

Structured, tense and lavishly oaked this seems like a keeper on first tasting but it will look smarter in its youth than when it broadens out and shows too much oily fruit and oak. Drink within the next four years.

Vinous

93-95 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 18/04/2014

The 2013 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is beautiful, but it is going to need time in bottle before offering its best drinking. Today, the 2013 is intensely mineral and tightly wound, both of which bode extremely well for the future. The combination of aging in barrel on the lees but blocking the malolactic fermentation results in a white of unusual texture, pedigree and pure class. Fans of the Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, and that includes me, will not want to miss the 2013. The blend is 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris.

Decanter.com

17 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 15/04/2014

Lemon yellow, slightly floral fruits, very good weight, length and complexity to  come out.

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

le 15/04/2014

Admirable pureté aromatique et maturité de raisin idéale. Entre la fleur de vigne, le tilleul, et le citron le nez et la bouche sont un régal, réussite majeure et triomphe de raisins cultivés selon les principes de la biodynamie.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 15/04/2014

A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% each of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris, the Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a tightly wound bouquet: sultry at the moment with light gooseberry and Granny Smith apples. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, citrus lemon and lime zest, with a gradual build towards its precise finish. Excellent.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

par James Suckling le 08/04/2014

Why drink Silex from Dagueneau? This is really something exceptional with incredible density and power. Full-bodied, dry and mineral and lemon zest with fabulous length and beauty. This is definitely one to buy in 2013. 90% savuignon blanc, 5% sauvignon grid and 5% sémillon.      

Wine Spectator

94-97 / 100

par James Molesworth le 04/04/2014

A talc note gives way quickly to straw, verbena and shortbread flavors at the core, along with macadamia nut, lemon curd and brioche. Richly layered, with impressive range, this flattering style has nicely embedded acidity to carry it all. A gorgeous white in the making.—J.M.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

par Roger Voss le 31/03/2014

Fragrant, fruity, ripe and spicy, this is an impressive wine. The wood balances the fruitiness, giving a sense of structure, while crisp acidity gives the wine a fine lift at the end.