2021 Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte rouge - Grand Cru Classe - Pessac-Leognan AC

Decanter.com – 96 pts – GH: *You might question this was a 2021 vintage, with its structure, style and charm combined with drinkability and ageability. A vibrant nose: pink roses, blackcurrants, strawberries, vanilla and milk chocolate, touches of pepper and toast. Supple, with bounce and energy, a firm frame but with a juicy, bright core of red berry fruits. Not light but not plush, dense but balanced, fun and friendly with precision and focus, as well as lots of flavour and texture.* - 11/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 94 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Ockerrandaufhellung. Feine Edelholznuancen, reife Kirschen, süße Pflaumen und Brombeerkonfit, gut entwickeltes Bukett, einladendes Aromatik. Saftig, elegant und frisch, zart nach Nugat, bleibt haften, bereits heute mit Genuss zu trinken, verfügt über Reifepotenzial.* - 03/2024

Vinum Magazin – 17/20 pts: *Recht ausbaugeprägt; voller Ansatz, dichter Bau; knackiges, robustes Tannin, gute Länge auf Noten sehr reifer Beeren; extraktreich, sogar recht feurig für das Jahr, viel Eiche auch in dieser Phase.*

WeinWisser – 18,5/20 pts - TB: *Der 2021er hat eine massive, viskose Farbe, top. Er bestätigt nach der Abfüllung den sehr positiven Eindruck der Primeurs-Verkostungen. Druckvoll und konzentriert zeigt er sich sehr süß, massiv und ätherisch in der Nase. Fleischig, enorm voll und wuchtig, bleibt er noch etwas jugendlich holzbetont im Geruch. Likörig, reichhaltig, mit viel Cassis im Kernaroma, endlos konzentriert. Rassig und intensiv, satt und kernig im Mund, besitzt er eine massive, Schoko-Graphit-Struktur mit weitgefassten Gerbstoffen. Sehr intensiver Smith Haut Lafitte mit schlanken 13.5 Vol.-%.* - 02/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 16,5/20pts – JH: *63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Deep crimson. Leafy and with a touch of stone dust (mineral). Very pure, very dry, demanding in its refined restraint. A serious wine for lovers of classic bordeaux.* - 11/2023

Vinous.com – 96 pts – AG: *The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is fabulous. Rich and explosive in the glass, the 2021 possesses tremendous intensity, much of that the result of low yields of just 20-22 hectoliters per hectare, about half of what is typical here. The tannins are a bit firm today, but there appears to be more than enough fruit behind all of that structure. Vivid aromatics further suggest all the 2021 needs is time. I can't wait to see how it ages.* - 12/2023

Vinous.com – 93 pts – NM: *Bottled last June, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte has a ripe bouquet for the vintage: black cherries, licorice, Provençal herbs and a touch of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a deft touch of black pepper and graphite, building toward a finish that exerts a gentle grip. It is slightly less marine-influenced than the barrel sample, but it is still a very decent Smith Haut-Lafite. This year, it must accept that the white has the upper hand.* - 11/2023

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 95 pts – JL: *Black cherries, orange rind, plums, flowers, blackberries, tobacco and smoke filled aromas get your focus with little effort. There is a richness to the wine due to all of its chocolate, licorice, cherries, and currants. The finish combines salty oceanic influences, dark chocolate, citrus, licorice, chalk, and savory fruits, with chocolate in the lingering, dusty finish. I sense this could be even better with a few years of bottle age. A large part of the success with the 2021 vintage here is the concentration that comes from yields of only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2050.* - 03/2024