Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte - Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "Good vibration here, with edgy, fresh acidity that makes it long and vivid. It's medium-bodied and tight, with sliced lemon and green apple and stone character. Better than 2022? 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% semillon."

WEINWISSER: "80 % Sauvignon Blanc, 20 % Sémillon. Filigranes Bouquet, Pomelo, Grapefruit und Zitronengras. Am komplexen Gaumen straff, pfeffriges Extrakt, mittlerer Körper. Im gebündelten Finale mit Agrumen, zartem Kreideton und Estragon. Top-Wert aus Pessac-Léognan."

DECANTER: "A touch of honey and honeycomb on the nose, some caramel, green herbs, apple and white stone fruit. Nice weight on the palate, this has some density and structure with a slightly honeyed core. Mouthwatering creamy peach with salinity, a touch of graphite and wet stones that lingers on the finish. A touch of bitterness too, but this has excellent energy and harmony with movement, subtle power and a long finish. Friendly and easy to approach. Ageing 50% new oak."

VINUM: "Tiefgründig, feinwürzig, reiffruchtig, mit kühlem, steinigen Unterton, exotischen Früchten und zitrischen Noten; fülliger Gaumen, rund, reichhaltig, reife Frucht, gekontert von einer guten Säure, phenolisches, salines Finish. Grossartig gelungen, viel Wein fürs Geld."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc checks in as 80% Sauvignon and 20% Semillon, brought up in 50% new French oak. It's dramatically different, with a bigger, richer, more rounded style, yet it still brings beautiful freshness and acidity. Lemon, bright citrus, spice, and mint all shine in this beauty, and it’s beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced."

FALSTAFF: "Helles Strohgelb, silberfarbene Reflexe. Zarte Birnenfrucht, ein Hauch von Karamell, kandierte Grapefruitzesten, einladende florale Nuancen. Rund und ausgewogen, feine Fruchtsüße, cremig, dezente Säurestruktur, bereits entwickelt, Limettentouch, salzig im Abgang, bereits antrinkbar."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Honeysuckle, tangerine, mango, citrus rind, and lemon grass notes dominate the nose. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, fresh, and refreshing with a nice display of citrus, and floral notes in the finish. The wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc, with 20% Semillon, 14% ABV. Drink from 2025-2034."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2023 is aging in 50% new oak. It shoots from the glass with vibrant scents of yellow apples, lemon grass, and juicy pears, leading to nuances of candle wax and coriander seed. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft-textured, with a lively backbone and layers of savory flavors, finishing on a spicy note."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "As usual, a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon matured 50% in new oak, the 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up aromas of spring flowers, citrus, lime tree leaves and menthol. Medium-bodied, satiny and round, it’s satiny with a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and an elegant, ethereal finish enhanced by gastronomic bitterness. It will offer a broad drinking window."