The 1998 Château Smith Haut Lafitte is the grand vin red from this long-established Pessac-Léognan estate in Martillac, classified as a Grand Cru Classé de Graves. Owned by Daniel and Florence Cathiard since 1990, Smith Haut Lafitte entered the late 1990s in a period of rising precision and investment, and the 1998 shows that estate style: polished structure, ripe fruit, and the savory, earthy edge that Graves lovers look for. The red is typically Cabernet Sauvignon-led, with Merlot and a portion of Cabernet Franc, and overall production is around 10,000 cases annually.
In bottle, reviewers consistently describe a wine that combines aromatic complexity with a measured, balanced build. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (90 points) calls it “a beautiful wine of symmetry finesse and elegance,” highlighting “classic aromas of black currants new wood and scorched earth,” and praising its “restrained measured graceful” profile with “well-integrated tannin.” Parker projected a drinking window of 2003–2018, but later tastings suggest the wine has held comfortably beyond that estimate.
Two excellent reviews at 93 points underline its track record. Wine Spectator rates it 93 and notes “decadent aromas… with meat, ripe fruit and spices,” plus a “long and rich” palate with “spicy, earthy and leafy flavors,” adding, “This has always been excellent.” James Suckling also scores it 93, finding it “just right now,” with “plums, earth and light chocolate character,” “fine tannins,” and “a very pretty finish.”
More recently, Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider, 90 points) agrees it is “drinking in a good place today,” pointing to “espresso, smoke, licorice, truffle and dark red berry scents,” and a finish marked by “black cherries, thyme and coffee notes.”
Taken together, 1998 Smith Haut Lafitte reads as a mature, classically styled Pessac-Léognan: savory and expressive, with enough fruit and balance to remain highly enjoyable now.
