95 WA

Notes:

One can’t say enough about this winery, which may still fly under the radar of most consumers. The fully mature 2000 displays gorgeous aromas of camphor, lead pencil shavings, unsmoked tobacco, plums, and black currants. With full body, a velvety texture, and beautiful weight, richness, and length, this superb wine should evolve, possibly improve for another 15 years. It’s a beauty! - Robert Parker 95

Producer: Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Cru Classé de Graves with a history extending back to the 14th century. The property took its present name in the 18th century after Scottish merchant George Smith acquired the estate. Its modern transformation began in 1990, when Daniel and Florence Cathiard purchased the château and undertook a major redevelopment of both the vineyards and winery. Their work included extensive soil studies, improved vineyard management, restoration of the estate and significant changes to vinification. The 2000 vintage represents an especially important point in that evolution. Florence Cathiard later described it as the beginning of the estate’s “red revolution,” and it was the first vintage vinified entirely in the château’s new small wooden fermentation vats. The vintage helped establish the direction that Smith Haut Lafitte would follow over the following decades.
Vineyard: The red vineyard is planted on the deep gravel soils of the Graves, with Cabernet Sauvignon forming the foundation of the estate. These gravel deposits provide excellent drainage and absorb warmth during the day, creating particularly favorable conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. Clay beneath portions of the vineyard also plays an important role by retaining moisture. That proved particularly useful in 2000, when late-summer drought placed considerable stress on many Bordeaux vineyards. Florence Cathiard specifically credited the estate’s clay with maintaining water reserves during the dry period. The vintage produced grapes with unusually thick skins and a very high level of polyphenols, giving the château concentrated material from which to work.
Winemaking: The 2000 marked a significant change in how the red wine was made. It was the first vintage vinified entirely in new, small conical wooden vats, which allowed extraction to proceed slowly and with greater precision. The unusually thick grape skins of the vintage made careful extraction especially important. This period also preceded another important change at the estate: Fabien Teitgen, who had been responsible for the vineyards, became technical director beginning with the 2001 vintage and continued refining the approach toward ripe fruit, controlled extraction and greater precision. The 2000 therefore captures Smith Haut Lafitte at a pivotal moment, when the Cathiards’ decade of investment was beginning to translate into a more ambitious and distinctive Grand Vin.
Technical Details: Pessac-Léognan AOC; Cru Classé de Graves; 750ml. The 2000 is Cabernet Sauvignon-led, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Petit Verdot completing the blend. Contemporary references place production at approximately 90,000 bottles. The wine was raised in barrel, and the concentration and tannic structure of the vintage provided the foundation for extended bottle development. Guide Hachette awarded the wine two stars, its designation for a vin remarquable, and specifically highlighted the quality and maturity of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the finished wine.
Food Pairing: Mature Smith Haut Lafitte works particularly well with roast lamb, beef tenderloin, duck, venison or braised short ribs. The developed savory character of an aged Pessac-Léognan also makes mushrooms an excellent partner, particularly porcini or morels served with beef, veal or roast poultry. Aged Comté is another good option. At more than 25 years from vintage, the bottle should be stood upright beforehand and carefully decanted for sediment, with additional aeration determined by how the individual bottle is showing.