Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan 2018

99 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, blueberries, camphor, scorched earth, chocolate, and tobacco. It's young and unevolved, yet the purity is off the charts, and it slowly gives up more spice and floral notes with time in the glass. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, it's an incredibly concentrated, powerful wine that has plenty of baby fat covering serious amounts of underlying structure and tannins. It has some up-front appeal from an educational standpoint, yet really needs a decade of bottle age and is going to keep for 30-40 years in cold cellars. It comes closest in my mind to a mix of the 2010 and 2016. Drink: 2031-2061. (3/11/21)"

99 points Yohan Castaing (Decanter): "One of the more notable successes in Pessac-Léognan is this 2018 thanks to its wonderful bouquet of red cherry, spring flowers, cedar and liquorice, graphite aromas and elegant earthy notes. With building tannins, a fresh, focused texture, and a great finish, it's not for those looking for instant gratification, and I suspect it will need a solid decade or more of cellaring, but it will evolve for 50 years or more. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. (Jun 2021)"

98 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot). Smith Haut-Lafitte and Cos d'Estournel are the only two wines here that I have chosen to highlight in the top 100 for both their red and white bottles. For SHL in particular, it seemed crazy to suggest wines that sum up the best of the vintage without drawing your attention to both colours. This one, with its unfussy yet luxurious feel, is really one to savour. The fruits are autumnal and enticing, textured raspberry and black cherry, with liqourice, slate, olive tapenade, smoked earth and cocoa bean sat against fresh acidities that add tension and length. 60% new oak. Harvest 18 September to 10 October. Last year of organic conversion, certified 2019. Drink: 2027-2042. (9/20/21)"

98 points James Suckling: "Purity of fruit here with plum and cherry aromas, as well as wet earth and spice. Light stone. Very floral and vivid. Full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are balanced and polished. Savory finish. Incredibly polished and refined. Goes on for minutes. One of the finest Smith-Haut Lafittes I have tasted. Drink after 2024. (1/15/21)"

97+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new barriques, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and cedar chest, followed by suggestions of baked plums, smoked meats, tar and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate brings sophistication to all that flamboyant fruit with a beautifully styled frame of finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing bright and fruity with loads of minerally sparks. This is a stunning, singular style that is sure to turn heads! Drink: 2026-2056. (Mar 2021)"

97 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe and seductive, with a caressing wave of cassis, plum puree and blackberry compote flavors that hold sway throughout, but not without support from enticing savory, licorice, warm loam and mineral accents along the way. Cashmere finish lets everything sail on and on. Gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. (3/31/21)"

97 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "This is the grand vin from Fabien Teitgen and his team, who seem to be turning out fabulous wines from one year to the next at the moment. And to think when I started getting to grips with the wines of Bordeaux this property was best ignored – not any more! The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon at 60% of the total, then Merlot at 34%, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The crop was much reduced by the mildew. The élevage was in 60% new oak, for about 16 months. On the nose this combines intensity of liquorice-laced fruit with a characteristic floral perfume, with a certain mineral overlay suggestive of smoky graphite and slate. The aromatic intensity translates into texture and structure on the palate, with a rich depth of fruit which comes across is crushed black cherry, rosemary, black olive and salted dark chocolate, all wrapped many times around a dense core of silky tannins. It has dynamism and a good sense of direction, with a linear frame, and clearly a superb cellaring potential. Give it ten years, and then maybe ten more. Excellent. (Feb 2021)"

96 points/'Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "Very full and persistent, Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2018 is masterful, with gorgeous body and fruit. (2021)"

96+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte is deep garnet-purple in color. It storms out with profound notes of cassis, black cherries, and dark chocolate, with hints of violets, pencil shavings, and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is plush and elegantly styled with seamless freshness and a long mineral-laced finish. Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2025-2050. (2/9/23)"

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "This wine offers rich licorice and blackberry flavors as well as freshness. It has structure and power while also showing fruitiness and acidity that offer poise. The wine's long-term future is assured. Drink from 2026. Organic and biodynamic. Alcohol 14.5%. (May 2021)"

96 points Peter Moser (Falstaff) (2/14/21).