Wine Advisor
Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, this has a very pure, fruit-driven bouquet with dark cherries and creme de cassis shrouded in vanillary oak that will integrate throughout elevage. The palate is medium-bodied with good backbone and structure. This is nicely focused, almost Saint Julien-like in style with very good weight and tension on the tobacco infused finish. There is also a pleasant salty aftertaste. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The third wine from Smith Haut Lafite, the 2012 Le Petit Haut Lafite, is in essence a second wine made from young plots of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a nice attack with loads of black fruits, but narrows out in the mouth and finishes with slight austerity and a more compact style. This is a good wine, but not anything to get excited about. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.
About the Producer
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is located in the village of Martillac in the Pessac-Leognan production area south of Bordeaux, France. As early as 1365, the famous Bosq family had been planting grapes here. This gravelly land was called "Lafitte", which means "higher hill".Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is located in Pessac-Leognan, a boutique production area in Graves with excellent terroir conditions. The winery's vineyards cover a total area of 78 hectares. The soil in the garden is mainly gravel soil, and is also mixed with sand, silica soil, limestone and clay. This soil has good drainage and the poor soil allows the grapevines to take root downwards for harvest. moisture and nutrients; in addition, gravel can reflect sunlight and store heat, which can help grapes ripen better. In 1990, Daniel Cathiard, a former French national team skier, became the owner of the winery, combining modern advanced technology with traditional winemaking methods. Since 1992, the winery has stopped using chemical herbicides and has adopted biodynamic methods to grow grapes. As the second wine of Smith Haut Lafitte, Le Petit Haut Lafitte’s brilliance is not overshadowed by the full score of the flagship wine. The grapes and brewing techniques used in the flagship wine are exactly the same, but due to the different brewing proportions, the style is more solid and rich than the flagship wine.
