About Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is old. How old? Well, in 1365, when most of the Medoc was marshland, yet to be drained by the Dutch, Smith Haut Lafitte was already under vine. A complete history would be novel-esque so we'll stick to the important stuff. The Bosq family first set up shop here in the mid 14th century. Two hundred years later, Scottish merchant George Smith purchased the property, thus the Smith we find on the label. In the 1800s, the Mayor of Bordeaux ran the show. Today, Smith Haut Lafitte is owned by former olympic skier Daniel Cathiard, who purchased the estate in 1990. Cathiard has put a in ton of work, both in the vineyard and in the chai. Incidentally, he may also have a penchant for Bond movies: at the touch of a button, the floor of the tasting room opens to reveal a hidden passageway down to the cellar.

The vineyard here covers 67 hectares -- 56 red and 11 white. The red vineyard is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The white vineyard, on the other hand, is planted to 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Sauvignon Gris. Its wine has recently been heralded as one of the top dry whites in Bordeaux. Overall, gravel soils allow excellent natural drainage, and the small stones also reflect the sun's rays, aiding the grapes in attaining maximum ripeness. The result is impressively concentrated and fairly full-bodied yet suave wines, in a modern style. Château Smith Haut Lafitte also produces a second wine, Les Hauts de Smith.

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Bordeaux 2010

2010 Bordeaux — A Classic Vintage of Outstanding Quality

The 2010 vintage is sure to go down in history as one of the greats. Next to 2009, it will surely inspire debate for decades about which of the dynamic duo is best. They are certainly different in style, with the plush, dense, super ripeness of the 2009s contrasting with the classically structured, more acidic and focused 2010s. That said, which vintage is “better” is best looked at on the regional level, and in many cases, by individual Chateau.

What can be said safely is that both vintages produced superb, long aging, vins de garde, although the 2010s, with their firmly structured, “classic” tannins, may need a little more patience than the more opulently styled 2009s. Both vintages, aside from the record prices, are worthy of a place in any cellar.

The growing season in 2010 started slow after a cold winter. Bud-break was slightly later than in 2009, and uneven flowering and disease issues reduced the crop size right off the bat, setting the stage for a smaller, more concentrated vintage. April was warm, which allowed the vines to catch up some in the growing cycle, but cold weather returned in May (the coolest in a decade). Low temperatures persisted in early June, causing concern, but temperatures rose steadily and the second half of June and all of August were warm. Hot days and cool nights were the perfect recipe for wines with great concentration and balancing freshness. The lack of precipitation in 2010 — it was one of the driest years since 1949 — was another contributing factor, allowing for ripe, concentrated grapes, with thick skins, good phenolic ripeness, and fresh acidity.

Overall, the resulting wines are deep, firm, and structured, showing ample alcohols and extraction, with the acids and tannins to match. They will need time, but those with the patience to wait will be well rewarded with wines that some are calling “modern classics.”

It’s still early to declare a winner between 2010 and 2009, but to date, St. Estephe, Pauillac and St. Julien may get the nod in 2009, and Graves in 2010 by a nose. The Right Bank is a draw, with Saint Emilion perhaps a bit better in 2010 owing to its high acidity and freshness. Pomerol was a tad better in 2009.

Dry whites from 2010 are very good — more vibrant than the 2009s. Sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac are also very good to excellent, with more acidity and nerve than the explosively rich 2009s.

Overall, we’re looking at a strong buy for the reds, dry whites, and sweet wines. For those who can afford them, these are wines for the ages, and the best will need decades to reach their potentials.

Key Dates

March

Cold weather, season gets off to a slow start

April

Warm and dry, bud-break from beginning to mid-month, slightly later than 2009

May

Dry but cool, less sunshine than 2009, despite a warm spell in the middle of the month Flowering begins in late May, slightly later than 2009

June

Cool month, unsettled weather. Occasional storms and considerable rain affect pollination. Flowering is prolonged and uneven. Merlot suffer coulure and millerandange, and crop loss as a result. Mid-flowering is on June 9th, later than the average

July

Hot, dry, sunny days, cool nights. Some water stress begins to occur in the dry conditions

August

Mid-veraison occurs around the 6th for Merlot and the 11th for Cabernet. Both were three to four days later than 2005 and 2009, but earlier than 2004 or 2008. Cooler than in 2009 or 2005, but with average sunshine. This played a role in the focused, firmer structures that the 2010s would later display

August

Temperature dropped but weather stayed sunny, very cool evening temperatures, again setting the stage for the higher acidity and firm structures in the 2010s

September

Hot and dry early on. On the 6th and 7th, low pressure and just enough rain to allow ripening and freshen the vines. Beautiful weather returned mid-month, with sunny days and cool nights. Cool, dry, fall-like temperatures settled in at the end of the month, allowing more hang-time while maintaining acidity and freshness

September

Merlot harvest begins

October

Cabernet harvested mainly in the first half of the month

2010 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan

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