2023 Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc - Grand Cru Classe - Pessac-Leognan AC

Decanter.com – 92 pts – GH: *Strong aromatics, on the expressive side with herbal accents, spiced wood, green apple, quince, apricot, mango, peach honeycomb and elderflower. Very floral. Fresh and expansive, mineral and direct, but a good body full of fruit, freshness and honey characters. Definitely more opulent and exotic than the others in the range with hints of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango but also some lovely bitterness which adds tension to balance it out. A good combination, more vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity. Very good and very easy to drink. Ageing 50% new oak.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 95 pts – PM: *Helles Gelbgrün, silberfarbene Reflexe. Floral unterlegte feine weiße Tropenfrucht, ein Hauch von Guaven und Vanille, facettenreiches, delikates Bukett. Komplex, saftig, feine Nuancen von Stachelbeeren und Birnen, finessenreicher Säurebogen, straff, mineralisch und vielschichtig, zeigt Energie und Länge, tolle Balance.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 98/100 pts: *Was für ein Duft, tiefgründig und komplex, florale und würzige Noten, Grapefruit, Mango; üppig am Gaumen, viel Druck, sehr gute Struktur, die Säure kontert die reife Frucht, wie immer ausbalanciert, mit viel Spannung und grossartiger Länge!* - 12/2023

WeinWisser – 19/20 pts – GL, TW: *90 % Sauvignon Blanc, 5 % Sémillon, 5 % Sauvignon Gris, 36 hl/ha. Vielschichtiges Bouquet, weiße Blüten, zarter Kreideton und Sternfrucht, dahinter weißer Pfeffer, Pomelo und Limonengras. Am komplexen Gaumen mit tänzerischer Rasse, stützender Mineralität und reifer feinpfeffriger Extraktfülle. Im gebündelten aromatischen Finale Weingartenpfirsich, Mango und Grapefruitzeste. Spielt in seiner eigenen Liga! Kellermeister Yann beschreibt den Wein: „Weiß in der Nase und gelb im Gaumen"!* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JL: *90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris. 36 hl/ha. Cask sample. Initially discreet then opens to reveal floral, citrus and vanilla notes. Large on attack with plenty of succulent fruit, then drive and persistence on the finish. An extra edge of ripeness compared with many but freshness as well. Very much in the house style.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – AG: *The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is quite the extrovert. Apricot, passion fruit, mint, tangerine peel and pineapple all soar out of the glass. Medium in body, with gorgeous texture, the 2023 is quite showy. I imagine it will drink well with minimal cellaring.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (95-97) pts – NM: *The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture, counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused, it's somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish (perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white Pessac-Léognan.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 95 pts – JL: *Orange cream, flowers, vanilla, pomelo, ginger, green apples, and a splash of pineapple hit the nose. Juicy, creamy, with sweetness, and balancing acidity giving the wine length, lift, and sweet citrus with a splash of spicy white peaches in the mid-palate, which carry through to the finish. The harvest took place August 25 - September 7. The wine blends 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris. 14% ABV, 3.2 pH. Drink from 2025-2035.* - 05/2024