You might question this was a 2021 vintage, with its structure, style and charm combined with drinkability and ageability. A vibrant nose: pink roses, blackcurrants, strawberries, vanilla and milk chocolate, touches of pepper and toast. Supple, with bounce and energy, a firm frame but with a juicy, bright core of red berry fruits. Not light but not plush, dense but balanced, fun and friendly with precision and focus, as well as lots of flavour and texture.

This is extremely perfumed, with violets, lavender, forest fruit and beeswax. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy, round tannins. It’s delicious already with a lovely balance, showing dark fruit, meat and chocolate with a hint of smoke. Straight and driven, it has a long finish for the vintage. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two.

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is an engaging, dynamic wine. Gravel, menthol, licorice, mocha and spice are all beautifully delineated. A wine of energy and focus, the 2021 is absolutely enthralling—medium in body, refined and super-impressive. -- Antonio Galloni

Inky ruby in colour, with vivid reflections, this successfully walks the line of the vintage, delivering quality and a sense of drama, campfire smoke, crushed rocks, sage, cassis, bilberry, blueberry and damson fruits. Silky tannins, stands out for its quality, one to look out for, and will age to at least 15 year, but deliver pleasure far earlier. Harvest September 22 to October 14. 60% new oak (for a little less time than usual). 23hl/h yield.

Black cherries, orange rind, plums, flowers, blackberries, tobacco and smoke filled aromas get your focus with little effort. There is a richness to the wine due to all of its chocolate, licorice, cherries, and currants. The finish combines salty oceanic influences, dark chocolate, citrus, licorice, chalk, and savory fruits, with chocolate in the lingering, dusty finish. I sense this could be even better with a few years of bottle age. A large part of the success with the 2021 vintage here is the concentration that comes from yields of only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2050.

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot reveals a deep, complex bouquet of dark berries, spices, licorice, pencil lead and flowers intertwined with hints of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it's suave and concentrated, with velvety, elegant tannins and a refined, penetrating finish. - Yohan Castaing

A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and mulberries come bounding out of the glass, followed by suggestions of allspice, dried roses, and Sichuan pepper, with a fragrant waft of lavender. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with vibrant black and red berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and compelling tension, finishing long and minerally. Nicely done!

Another Graves that reminds me slightly of the 2014, the 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has straight-up classic notes of cassis and blackberry fruits interwoven with smoked tobacco, smoky, gravelly earth, and spicy nuances. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and incredibly elegant, with ultra-fine tannins, it's going to round into form with just 3-4 years of bottle age and will still be drinking beautifully at age 20.

Provides a step up in substance, with steeped red and black currant fruit laced with tobacco, bay leaf and worn leather accents. Features flashes of warm earth and iron that underscore the finish, also showing depth and grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2035. — J.M.