The 2022 Smith-Haut-Lafitte, a Bordeaux Blend from the Pessac-Léognan sub-region in Bordeaux, France, has garnered high praise across the board from wine critics, indicating its potential as an exceptional vintage. This red wine, produced by Smith-Haut-Lafitte, features a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It is currently aging in 60% new French oak barrels for 18 months, with an alcohol content of 14.5%.
Jeff Leve of TheWineCellarInsider.com awarded it a perfect score, describing it as "inky dark in color" and noting its "nose of spice, cigar wrapper, blackberries, black currants, flowers, wet earth, and smoke." Leve emphasized the wine's "silky textures and richness," and highlighted its impressive finish, which "stays with you for over 50 seconds." He also pointed out the low yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare during the harvest, which took place from September 5 to September 30.
Jeb Dunnuck, from jebdunnuck.com, gave the wine a score of 98, praising its "ripe, powerful, concentrated" nature and likening it to the 2010 vintage. He noted its "beautiful perfume of sweet black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers," and commended its "balanced" profile despite its size.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by Yohan Castaing, rated the wine 95 points, describing it as "medium to full-bodied" with "good depth and powdery structuring tannins." The review mentioned its "somewhat extracted style" and advised patience for optimal enjoyment.
James Suckling also rated it highly at 98 points, highlighting its "polish, texture, complexity, and patina," as well as its "spicy and interesting" character with "integrated tannins."
Jane Anson, from janeanson.com, awarded a score of 97 and noted its "inky color," "vibrant edging," and "fragrant floral aromatics." She praised the "rich density of blue and black fruits" and the "saline scrape on the finish."
Vinous, with Neal Martin's review, gave it 97 points and described it as "very elegant and focused," with "pliable tannins" and an "exceptionally pure and caressing tobacco-tinged finish."
Decanter also scored it 97 points, calling it a "real success of the vintage" and appreciating its "bold, structured, concentrated and powerful" nature. The review highlighted its "juicy blackcurrants, black cherries, and strawberries" and "excellent tannin definition."
Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss rated it 98 points, mentioning its "impressive richness" and "great fruit now but its tannins mean it will age."
Finally, The Wine Independent, with Lisa Perrotti-Brown's review, scored it 97 points, noting its "deep garnet-purple color" and "mouth-coating black fruits with red berry sparks" supported by "rock-solid, firm tannins."
Overall, the 2022 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is hailed as a powerful, elegant, and potentially landmark vintage, with excellent reviews from multiple esteemed critics.