Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Region

France, Bordeaux

Appellation

Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé

Grapes

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot (2022)

Color

Red

Vintages

2022, 2019, 2014, 2009

Mevushal

No

Supervision

OU; Rabbi Its’hak Katz Kehal Yereim Paris Chareidi

Expert Notes

“A big black-cherry and bitter-chocolate nose leads into a rich, concentrated palate, where the fruit easily holds sway over the powerful, dry tannins. It’s these that drive everything along right through to the assertive, slightly earthy finish; impressive long-term stuff!” - James Suckling

Tasting Notes

Dark purple with cassis and black fruit on the nose. Full bodied, deeply extracted with classic velvety texture only Smit Haut wines can resemble.

Food Pairing

Ideal with classic meat dishes, veal, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes.

Serve at 17 to 18°C (63 to 65°F). Decant young vintages for an hour.

The Region

Pessac-Léognan is a prestigious appellation for red wine in the Bordeaux region of south-western France. It was carved out of the Graves sub-region in 1987 as recognition for its high quality red and white wines. Many of the estates in what is now Pessac-Léognan were the best performers in the Graves Classification of 1959. The regions wines tend to be based on the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grape varieties. They best suit the terroir of Pessac-Léognan. The dominant soil type is the same gravel (and sand) which gave Graves its name. The red grape varieties of the appellation covers approximately 1491 hectares (3684 acres).

The Grape

Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot wines are made from two of the world's most famous and most widely grown wine grapes. The pair form the foundation of many of the great wines of Bordeaux, where this classic blend (often dubbed "Bordeaux Blend") is thought to have originated. For centuries, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been the quintessential Bordeaux wine grapes, but their fame and popularity have now taken them far beyond the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, to the furthest reaches of the wine world. In California the blend is often labeled as Meritage – providing the producer meets the requirements of the Meritage Alliance. The Australian regions of Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley are highly regarded for their unique expressions of the blend. South Africa's Stellenbosch region also produces some earthy and savory examples that defy many of the commonly held perceptions about New World wine. In other New World countries the blend is often abbreviated to Cabernet Merlot, although this mix could include Cabernet Franc as well.

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