Our tasting and dinner with Florence Cathiard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte highlighted the remarkable second wines of the Domaine. Below is Simon's offer on the 2010 red and the 2012 white. Both are drinking well now and will continue to do so in the years to come.
Earlier this week we hosted a tasting and dinner with Florence Cathiard, who , along with her husband Daniel, is the proprietor of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. This Graves property has really consolidated its position after a decade of resurgence. Today it benefits from considerable critical acclaim. I have had the opportunity to taste recent vintages on a number of occasions and am impressed by these beautiful, finely-nuanced Graves with ample fruit and sublime purity. This week's tasting of the 2009 and 2010 Grand Vin was no surprise; both are stunning wines and I think they comfortably rank in the top dozen of each of these great Bordeaux vintages. The surprise of the evening was, however, the quality of the second wines. These Second Wines show a refinement, elegance and concentration above their station. Taking the price point into account; they offer great value. I can quite easily understand why on Tuesday evening Florence Cathiard quipped that her husband, Daniel, could make more Grand Vin if he did not consign so much fruit to the second wine! Moreover my impressions echoed those of Jancis Robinson MW in the FT last weekend when she stressed how many strong values there were at the more humble end of the spectrum in the 2010 vintage. Most of the audience present at the tasting on Tuesday night were just as surprised by the price as much as they were by the quality. We tasted the 2010 red and the 2011 white, but as the white is a wine to consume young, I am offering the marginally superior 2012 here. These two wines really impressed. The 2010 Petit Haut Lafitte in particular punched well above its weight. It will need 3 or 4 years to hit its straps but could just be broached now if decanted well in advance. The 2012 white is a very attractive example, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc; fresh and aromatic this is ready straight out the blocks.
Petit Haut Lafitte, Pessac Leognan 2010
£210 per twelve bottles in bond
Deep in hue, the nose reveals ripe berry; cassis and mulberry, with an attractive leafy, cedary Cabernet note. With ample fruit on show, there is a welcome precision and focus for a wine of this level. The fruit is ripe without being heady, and there is a fresh nature, and solid backbone presently on show. What impresses most is the finesse of the tannins, this doesn't come across like a destination for anything that didn't make the cut for the Grand Vin. Given the calibre of 2010 this is a keen value in the vintage context. Drink 2016 to 2024
Les Hauts de Smith Blanc, Pessac-Léognan 2012
£200 per twelve bottles in bond
Such an expressive nose, citrusy elements as well as white peach and floral notes. On the palate it is clear that the wine has been aged on its lees and is more complex than many Sauvignon. There are crisp, ripe fruits in a similar vein to the aromatics with a subtle flinty mineral note behind. Such an attractive early drinking Sauvignon with good richness and a roundness that comes of barrel ageing. Hard to resist. Drink 2014 to 2017