Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and matured in 60% new oak for 18 months, the 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very deep garnet-purple color, opening with sensuous scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie, star anise and fragrant lilacs with hints of chocolate box, cigar box and pencil lead plus wafts of truffles and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive, it completely fills the palate with perfumed black berry preserves and superbly plush tannins, finishing epically long and beautifully layered.
Aromas of tar, smoke, herbs and dark fruit. Full-bodied with a soft, textural side. The tannins are smooth but precise, framing linear dark fruit and giving lovely overall balance. Drink now or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.
A brilliant wine, one of the best ever at this property. Straight from the first nose you feel an added dimension and aromatic complexity to this bottle. The diversity of flavours tumbles out on the attack, from brambled autumnal fruits to tighter, fresher black cherry and cassis notes. The body is deeply coloured, full of life and pleasure, with rich, deep cassis and high but generous alcohol that's not intrusive but showing through in the smooth texture. It was great En primeur and is even better today. 1% Petit Verdot finishes the blend.
Quite ripe, with lush waves of cassis, cherry preserve and raspberry puree flavors gliding through in no hurry, but maintaining definition and cut along the way as bramble, tar and melted licorice snap notes slowly emerge throughout. The finish features an intense echo of pastis and sweet tobacco, showing serious latent grip. Best from 2023 through 2038. 8,333 cases made.
The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very succinct and refined bouquet, with pure blackberry, bilberry, pressed flowers and undergrowth scents that are beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied, with svelte tannins, exquisite balance and an edgy, precise minerally finish. The class of this Pessac-Léognan shines through. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
This hugely dense wine is complex and full of juicy, succulent, smoky Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are at the service of the fruits. The wine still has a long way to go before maturity. Don't think about drinking it before 2025. (Cellar Selection)
Moving to the reds, the 2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 60% new oak. It’s undeniably a more elegant, reserved style from this estate, yet it still offers full-bodied richness and depth, with a classic perfume of cassis, black currants, cold fireplace, wood smoke, and tobacco. Deep, nicely concentrated, seamless, and, again, incredibly elegant, it’s going to flesh out nicely with short-term cellaring and keep for 20-30 years.
TWI
97pts
The Wine Independent
The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte offers a dark and round, spicy and vibrant nose. It is a strong effort, impressive and full bodied, with notes of cedar, herbs, dark liquorice and a long and deep, dark and crunchy aftertaste with notes of smoke and tar. This is another great wine from Smith Haut Lafitte and one of the more impressive 2016’s that will be interesting to follow.