Wine Advisor
Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose of the 2019 Le Petit Haut Lafitte needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of freshly crushed blackberries, wild blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus wafts of garrigue, pencil lead and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has classic black fruit, cedar and mineral-tinged layers with a sturdy frame of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
More serious than the forward Les Hauts de Smith, the 2019 Le Petit Haut Lafitte contains only 40% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. Exhibiting aromas of crème de cassis, sweet berries, cocoa nib, pencil shavings and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, lively and concentrated, with a more structured, reserved profile but more incipient complexity too.
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.
