2020 Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc - Pessac-Leognan Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 92 pts – GH: *Crisp green apple, lemon rind, peach, apricot, lovely white stone fruit. Bright, crisp and clean, a good shot of lemon at the beginning, then a creamy, vanilla, orange, bitter grapefruit element comes in but still with a cool mineral edge keeping things straight. Gentle, nice weight on the palate, not super bright but calm and collected. Wet stone salinity at the end, almost a creaminess. Young vines. Does have the structure, definitely that lingering bitterness giving some nuance and width. not a simple wine, definitely more serious. a bit of heat on the finish, you feel it grow in seriousness. Heady. 40% new oak, 10 months, 5 in vats.* - 02/2023

Falstaff Magazin – (94-96) pts - PM: *Helles Gelbgrün, silberfarbene Reflexe. Feine Gewürznuancen, zart nach Vanille, feiner Pfirsichtouch, Ananas, ein Hauch von Minze und Zitronenmelisse. Saftig, elegant und ausgewogen, feine weiße Steinobstfrucht, finessenreich strukturiert, mineralisch, salzig, weißer Pfeffer im Abgang, wirkt leichtfüßig und gut anhaftend, sicheres Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2021

WeinWisser – 19+/20pts – GL, TW: *Delikates Bouquet, frische Nektarine, gelbe Rose, geriebene weiße Mandel und Grapefruit. Am energiegeladenen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, salzigem Extrakt und tänzerischer Rasse. Im gebündelt feinaromatischen Finale Mandarinenzeste, Mirabelle und erkalteter Grüntee. Grandiose Leistung.* – 03/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17/20pts – RH: *Cask sample. Creamy, generous style where the Sauvignon is ripe rather than herbal, which works well. Succulent acidity still gives refreshment on the finish. Drinkable now, but has a decade of potential too.* - 04/2021

Vinous.com – 95 pts – AG: *The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is superb. Élevage has done wonders in lending energy and brilliance. The 2020 shows the soft curves of the warm vintage, but it has tons of energy, too. That makes for an absolutely brilliant, compelling white that delivers on so many levels. The 2020 offers enough approachability to drink well now, but also the energy to develop well in bottle for so many years to come.* - 12/2022

Vinous.com – (92-94) pts – NM: *The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was cropped at 29hl/ha and aged in 60% new oak barrels. It takes its time to unfurl on the nose, toying with the olfactory senses before revealing attractive honeysuckle, yellow flowers, jasmine, melon and very subtle chamomile scents, gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with an intese, concentrated opening, a little more viscous in texture than the Le Petit Haut Lafitte, deeper and a touch spicier. Veins of lemongrass and stem ginger appear toward the finish. This should drink well for 15-20 years. One of the best dry whites of the vintage* - 04/2021

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 96 pts – JL: *Rich, lush and creamy, with an alluring bouquet of honeysuckle, lemon rind, white peach, vanilla, and honeyed lemon peel, this is going to be simply fabulous on release, providing pleasure for over a decade. Drink from 2023-2034.* - 03/2023