Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Red 2010
Grand Cru Classé
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Tasting notes from Fabien Teitgen, Winemaker:
2010 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is a deep, concentrated, nearly black colour.
The bouquet displays a range of red and black fruit aromas, as well as ones reminiscent of spice and warm herbs. With aeration, the wine reveals magnificent black fruit, liquorice, clove, and graphite nuances...
The wine starts out firm and straightforward on the palate. It is huge, but in no way austere. Its power comes through in a full- bodied flavour profile with a long aftertaste. The tannin is rich
and silky, and the texture is well-defined thanks to ripe tannin and a careful control during extraction. The wine has an extremely well-focused structure and taste. The long aftertaste
of liquorice, red fruit, and black fruit also features more subtle underlying flavours of hot stones and warm earth.
This 2010 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is undoubtedly one of the finest wines the estate has ever made.
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Yield: 35 hl/ha, before selection into the three estate wines:
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith, and Le Petit Haut Lafitte -
Blend:
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64% Cabernet Sauvignon
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30% Merlot
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5% Cabernet Franc
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1% Petit Verdot
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Vinification:
Whole berries fermented in small wooden vats at 28°C with extraction by manual punch-down (pigeage). -
Aging:
18 months on lees in French oak barrels (65% new), made in the estate’s own cooperage. Only one racking, then custom aging per wine. -
Average Vine Age: 38 years
Vintage Summary – 2010
The 2010 vintage was marked by:
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Moderate warmth: Total temperatures similar to 2009, cooler than 2005—especially in early August—ensuring excellent acidity and aromatic freshness.
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Dry conditions: Low rainfall (267 mm from March to August), comparable to the famously structured 2005 vintage.
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These conditions led to early cessation of vine growth, enabling a long ripening period and exceptional phenolic maturity (evidenced by red stems and crunchy brown seeds).
Harvest dates:
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Started: 29 September (young Merlot plots)
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Ended: 22 October (Cabernet Franc)
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