2022 Smith Haut Lafitte

The 2022 Smith Haut-Lafitte has another very refined and sophisticated bouquet, with discreet touches of white pepper and sage that season that black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well defined, with a dash of spice towards the peacock's tail finish. Very satisfying and vying for the best Pessac-Léognan in the flight. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

With a somber, slightly introverted character characterized by notes of licorice, gentian, spices and dark wild berries, the 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte possesses a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and dense palate with a fleshy core of fruit and a generously extracted structure with an assertive tannic frame that requires time to mellow. Concluding with a long, dense and gentian-inflected finish, it needs time to digest its élevage and should gain harmony and balance with some time in the cellar.

Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a more elegant version of the 2010, it has a dense purple hue to go with a rich, powerful, full-bodied, sensationally complex nose of cassis and darker berries interwoven with woodsmoke, scorched earth, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Concentrated, deep, and layered on the palate with ripe, velvety tannins, it's a sensational, absolutely heavenly effort that will keep for 40-50 years. Along with the 2009, 2010, and 2020, this is one of the greatest wines to ever come from this address. Don't miss it.