97 points James Suckling
Outer quote mark Aromas of dried apples, pears and peaches with crushed stones. Fresh flowers, such as lilacs. Full-bodied with layers of fruit and a fresh, creamy palate that continues on for minutes. A refined, precise, and polished Smith. Tight at the end. Needs two or three years to open. Inner quote mark (2/2022)
95 points Wine Advocate
Outer quote mark The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has turned out very well in bottle, reflecting the estate’s volition to craft more structured, age-worthy whites. Offering up aromas of gooseberry, nectarine, mint and lemongrass mingled with hints of pastry cream, almond paste and smoke, it’s full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a textural attack that segues into a fleshy but promisingly tightly wound mid-palate, concluding with a saline finish. As usual, the blend features a small percentage of Sauvignon Gris, which brings more dry extract to the ensemble. (WK) Inner quote mark (4/2022)
Tasting notes from Fabien Teitgen, Winemaker:
This wine is a lovely pale-yellow colour. The nose is very expressive, revealing very fresh citrus (grapefruit) notes, alongside ripe yellow fruit
(peach, apricot, mango), as well as floral and spicy overtones (elderflower, star anise) coming to the fore, enhancing aromatic complexity.
Starts out tight on the palate, becoming concentrated, powerful and rich. The overall impression is a polished wine with wonderful acidity. It has great length, underscored by superb balance between acidity and concentration, and a very soft texture. Yellow fruit and citrus aromas follow through to the palate, underpinned by incredibly complex spices and white flower notes.
