Dear <<First Name>>,
Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur .. The show must go on !
As we enter what will hopefully be the final week of this very usual nut interesting campaign, we continue our 2019 EP offers with surely one of the greatest success stories in Bordeaux from Pessac-Leognan. The wines of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte.
Purchased in 1990 by husband and wife team, Daniel and Florence Cathiard (both Olympic skiers), Chateau Haut Smith Lafitte is now a global brand and recognised for producing high quality Red and White wines from their beautiful estate, that is also a boutique hotel and spa. Having been a couple of times and lucky enough to stay, you can see what passion and meticulous detail is given for everything they do.
The Rouge is another success story in 2019 building on numerous highly rated releases in the 21st century, including a perfect score in 2009 from Wine Advocate. Today we see stellar reviews across the board, with Wine Advocate still expecting more when bottled (96-98+ pts) and a generous 17% reduction on the sell out 2018 vintage.
Neal Martin also announces "Very elegant and refined, this is an outstanding success for the winemaker and his team" (96-98 pts)
The Chateau Haut Smith Lafitte Blanc is probably the white wine of the vintage with Wine Advocate proclaiming 'Wow-o-WOW, that is good!" and again, still room for improvement when bottled (96-98+ pts) and a 9.5% discount on the 2018 vintage. Neal Martin is no less complementary in his review of (94-96 pts) - "There is a brightness and sophistication to this wine that is very persuasive. Superb".
Allocations on both wines is down this year due some mildew, so if you want a case for the cellar you will need to be quick!
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Neal Martin (Vinous)
"Two thousand and nineteen is a great vintage. I know. Boring. But my job is to tell it as it is, and that is what it is. It is an excellent vintage."
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We now have all the expected critics providing their assessment of the 2019 vintage and universally the sentiment is 'outstanding', 'great' or 'excellent'. We could well be entering the final week so for those still sat on the fence, now is the time secure your orders.
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Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
"There is no doubt 2019 is an outstanding vintage, clearly an important vintage. What stands out most about the finest 2019s is their exceptional balance. Ripeness is high, but not exaggeratedly so."
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The 2019 vintage and resulting En Primeur campaign will be remembered long into the history of these illustrious proceedings, with nature clearly giving something back to help heal some of the wounds. Starting more than 4 weeks late, we expect this to be a short and concentrated campaign.
The weather was particularly wet during the winter of 2018 but this was a saving grace as the long warm, dry summer came round quickly. The heat was fierce for a few short spells but the flowering was well established early on and the berries (fruit set) in a good place to compensate. A pleasant autumn, with the odd shower during harvest had already got some talking of the great potential, with well formed concentrated berries, with good acidity and healthy yields.
The term 'great vintage' is not used lightly in Bordeaux and certainly initial reports are of a very high quality, with comparisons to 2009, 2015 and 2016 previously earmarked as the best this century. Pricing is a key factor of any En Primeur campaign and expectations are it will much lower than 2018, due to current global crisis.
There has not been any of the traditional April trips to the Chateaux for day long tastings and lavish dinners, instead during these difficult times, pallets of samples have been arriving on the doorsteps of critics all over the world. Those that follow social media closely will have seen snippets of enthusiastic commentary as each appellation is meticulously poured, tasted and written up. Most have yet to publish any meaningful reports and accompanying notes but the signs are more than positive, if not glowing.
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James Suckling
"2019 is an exceptional year for Bordeaux wines... Some say 2019 is close to the excellent 2016 vintage but with perhaps slightly less tannin concentration. They all agree that the quality is very close to 2018, 2016 and 2015."
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With Château Pontet-Canet (98-100 pts - Wine Advocate), a powerhouse of modern day Bordeaux, selling out in Bordeaux over a weekend at £61 per btle (IB) this seems to have defined the 2019 vintage!
This level of pricing has rarely been seen in the last 15 years and was lower than the 2013 release price, which was certainly one of the poorest vintages in recent memory. This gives hope that possibly one the best quality vintages in the 21st century will unusually be one of the best value.
A vintage for buyers and drinkers alike!
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Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)
'.. 2019 has surprised me. A lot. If you had asked me before I started tasting who I thought might be in the three-digit-score zone, I would not have had Figeac, Pichon Baron or even Ducru-Beaucaillou on that list...'"
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We have also seen a new release from Château Latour (96+ pts Wine Advocate) this week, the first since they decided to no longer participate in the traditional En Primeur process in 2011, opting to release wine when the Chateau felt it was ready. At a release price of £2,100 for 6 bottles this also represents the cheapest vintage of the previous 10 years.
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Château Haut Smith Lafitte (Pessac-Leognan)
In 1842, Mr. Duffour-Dubergier, Mayor of Bordeaux and an enthusiastic winegrower, inherited Château Smith Haut Lafitte from his mother and brought the wine up to great growth status. Impressed by Smith Haut Lafitte's excellent quality, the Louis Eschenauer company distributed the wine all over the world starting in the early 20th century, deciding to buy the estate in 1958. After the Eschenaueur period came to an end, a great deal of money has been invested in the estate, particularly on the construction of a superb underground cellar holding over 1,000 barrels. In 1990, Daniel Cathiard fell in love with the property and joined the list of prestigious owners, firmly intending to further enhance Smith Haut Lafitte's tradition of excellence. He combined the most modern winemaking techniques and age-old methods: organic compost, small wooden vats, ageing on the lees in barrel, etc. Famous around the world for its wonderfully elegant red wine and the sophisticated bouquet of its white wine, Smith Haut Lafitte undoubtedly deserves the special care that is lavished on it.
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Neal Marin (96-98 pts) Vinous
"The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte was cropped at 36hl/ha, undergoing manual pigeage and maturation in 60% new barrels for a planned 18 months. It has an intense, very pure bouquet with blackberry, briary and cherry compote and a hint of black olive tapenade in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins that frame the pure, mineral-infused black fruit. Undercurrents of graphite and black olive surface towards the complex finish that I feel is less opulent but maybe more sophisticated than recent vintages of this top performer. Very elegant and refined, this is an outstanding success for winemaker Fabien Teitgen and his team."
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2019 Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Rouge
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
The 78 hectare Pessac Leognan vineyard of Smith Haut Lafitte has 67 hectares planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot for the red wine.
For the red wine grapes, the terroir consists of deep gravel with the top surface covered in smaller quartz pebbles. Below that you find sand and limestone in their soil, with gentle slopes. The average age of the vines is close to 38 years of age. They have old vines which are close to 65 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density ranging from 7,500 vines per hectare to 9,000 plants per hectare. Newer plantings are done at the higher level of vine density.
£406.50 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£411.50 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is downright hedonic on the nose, rolling sensuously out of the glass with notions of warm cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, Black Forest cake and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon toast, lilacs, camphor and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate juxtaposes remarkable energy and brightness with densely packed, rich, ripe black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically invigorating freshness, finishing long with mineral-tinged fireworks. Stunning!"
Lisa Perrotti-Brown (96-98+ pts)
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2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon
The 78 hectare Pessac Leognan vineyard of Smith Haut Lafitte has 11 hectares planted to 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. The white wine grapes are planted just behind the chateau and to the north. Here you find more clay and limestone in the soils for the white wine grapes.
For the white wine grape varieties, the micro-climate is a bit cooler. The white wine grapes planted today are quite different than what you found in previous, older vintages.
As you can see from the vineyard plantings, with the inclusion of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris, that is no longer the case. The wines now have more richness for this change in the plantings
On average, the vines are 38 years of age. For the white wines, they have old Sauvignon Blanc vines that are 60 years of age. The vine density ranges from 7,500 vines per hectare to 9,000 vines per hectare.
£474.00 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£479.00 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"The Smith Haut Lafitte 2019 Blanc has a nose that unfolds in stages—offering intense white grapefruit, green mango, yuzu and orange blossoms scents to begin, giving way to hints of coriander seed, turmeric, shaved almonds and cedar chest with wafts of baking bread and beeswax coming through after some coaxing. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully opulent with layers of citrus, stone fruit and savory flavors and a seductive oiliness to the texture, finishing very long and fantastically refreshing. Wow-o-WOW, that is good!"
Lisa Perrotti-Brown (96-98+ pts)
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All prices are 'In Bond' and exclude, duty, VAT & delivery and subject to availabilty and confirmation
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The wines above are subject to strict allocation on a first come first serve basis, confirmation and remaining unsold.
Different formats are available for most wines (375ml to 15L) at a small additional bottling cost.
Delivery is expected to commence in spring 2022.
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