Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2021 white

Golden yellow and on the nose a small sensation: complex, profound, stony, cool, citrus fruits, apple, herbs. On the palate, round, creamy, sweet fruit, magnificent acidity. Like an arrow to the heart, fantastically balanced, long on the finish. A top performance and one of the great white wines of the vintage.

Plump, with an enticing edge to the mix of lemon curd, jasmine, honeysuckle and white peach flavors. Shows length too, with paraffin and salted butter details filling in. A touch shy on depth and cut overall, but this is still well ahead of the pack in this vintage. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2029. 2,400 cases made, 250 cases imported.

Sweet and honeyed with creamy richness as well as vibrant grassy tones, this is a gorgeous white. The palate is textured and round, yet driven and taut too – the mineral line that drives through the wine’s core is complemented by a weight of stone fruit, and a waxy richness. Brilliant.

This has so much blossom honey and white flowers with limes and other citrus. Stone and mineral undertones. Subtle passion fruit. A truly complex and great nose. Full-bodied and compact with fruit, phenolics and fresh acidity. Just a touch of sea salt. Very long and persistent. If you close your eyes, it’s like a great red wine. One of the best whites ever to come from here. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon, 5% sauvignon gris. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris. Really inviting mix of aromas that reflect both the fruit and the oak; creamy, complex, citrus, oatmeal. Succulent, very fresh and complete on the palate. A lovely match of fruit and texture with plenty of lemony fruit sweetness to partner the high acidity. (JH)

White flowers, green apples, pineapple, vanilla beans, lemon chiffon, pears, and orange blossoms fill the nose. On the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced between its wealth of perfectly ripe, sweet, opulent fruits and its racy acidities. The lingering finish is all about the purity of its lemon-edged fruits, crushed rocks and stones, and edgy textures. The wine blends 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. Drink from 2024-2040.

Pale yellow, green hints, silver reflections. On the nose, subtle wood savouriness, nuances of gooseberry, mango and passion fruit, a mineral note, floral hints and a touch of candied mandarin zest. Textured and elegant with fine fruit expression, a finesse-rich acidic structure, well balanced, with subtle notes of caramel and pineapple on the persistent finish. Already approachable, a multi-layered food wine with length and definite ageing potential.

The 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (90% Sauvignon and 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon) is similarly crisp, focused, and chiseled, yet has another level of concentration. Racy citrus, lime, and graphite notes are supported by beautiful minerality, minty herbs, and sappy, flower-like aromatics. These carry into a medium- to full-bodied, concentrated white with perfectly integrated acidity, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This beauty will benefit from 4–5 years of cellaring and will have over two decades of longevity.

One of the wines of the vintage when retasted in bottle, and it's absolutely singing now. A deliciously slow build through the palate, mouthwatering with white pear, quince, brioche, salted cracker, sage, graphite, and a ton of restrained citrus. The texture opens to show a creamy, gourmet and irresistable side. Harvest September 2 to 20, 50% new oak for ageing. Once again proving that this is one of the standout whites of France, from Daniel and Florence Cathiard.

A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, and 5% Semillon, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc soars from the glass with enticing scents of nectarines, lime leaves, and fresh grapefruit, giving way to notes of cedar, jasmine tea, and yuzu zest, with a touch of chalk dust. The light to medium-bodied palate has exhilarating tension, with loads of orchard fruit and citrusy layers, finishing with fantastic length.

A sparkling bouquet, golden like the sun of a summer evening, with the finesse of fully ripe yellow fruits and notes of pear, tonka bean, lychee, and fresh coconut. Energizing on the palate, pure and crystalline, it flutters delicately across the palate like a butterfly, revealing opulent, tropical notes, orchard fruits and pastry accents, lifted throughout the tasting by a tight yet flavorful structure. An excellent wine.

The nose is nicely elegant, complex, all about elegance/classicism, and offers a lovely multi-layered side and intensity. It reveals notes of lemon, tart green apple and, more slightly, zest, combined with touches of crunchy small fruits, as well as a subtle hint of fresh oak and a subtle mentholated note. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, freshness, good definition, a beautiful breadth of the aromatic palette, gourmet appeal with finesse, a tangy backbone, a lovely delicate/fine/airy texture, energy, purity, and a slight crystalline character. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy green apple, lemon and, more slightly, yuzu, combined with touches of small exotic fruits, a subtle hint of fresh pineapple, fresh flowers, a discreet touch of tangy mandarin, a subtle hint of toast, almond, a discreet hint of gunflint, fresh mirabelle, verbena, physalis, a subtle smoky note, and vanilla. Good length. A discreet touch of pleasant bitters on the finish/persistence.

Pale yellow colour. An intense, refined nose, fruity, subtle and noble. Notes of almond and flowers. Broad on the attack, with a rich mid-palate, combining both the smoothness and the delicacy of floral nuances; the wine develops with a melt-in-the-mouth texture, dense and deep. Lovely finish.

98–100. Barrel Sample. Fresh, crisp but with intensity and ripe texture, this wine is the star of the white wines this vintage. It is tight, with minerality and acidity. Pink grapefruit, and a dynamic texture reveal its concentration. It will be a great wine from a great white wine vintage.