2005 Smith Haut Lafitte - 750ml

The Wine Independent - 99 Points

The 2005 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, it slips confidently out of the glass with notes of creme de cassis, baked plums, cracked black pepper, and pencil shavings, plus wafts of sandalwood and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and juicy, featuring soft acidity and a long, beautifully poised finish. In a sweet spot for drinking now, this can cellar a further 20 years+.(7/2022)

Wine With Bok - 9/10 Stars

Was hoping for fireworks, as lately I was addicted to 05 Bordeaux, but it didn’t happen. Nose of charred and burned wood, otherwise very muted. The fruits in the wine was great, very intense, very ripe, very concentrated mix of red and black fruits. I was expecting a lot more tannins and structure but this one lacked both. So I’d say it’s made not really to age a few decades but more ready to drink for the next 5-10 years. (5/2015)

Jeb Dunnuck - 98 Points 

The 2005s from Bordeaux continue to show youthfully, yet spectacularly well! The 2005 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a prime example of the vintage and offers a huge, rich, concentrated style as well as classic dark fruits, tobacco, scorched earth and graphite aromas and flavors. While this is a tannic vintage, the tannins here are sweet and polished and covered by fruit. With stunning purity of fruit, notable freshness, and a great, great finish, drink this beauty anytime over the coming two decades. (2/2018)

Robert Parker - 98 Points

This sensational, opaque blue/purple-colored wine from Smith Haut Lafitte has a gorgeous floral nose with notes of graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and cassis that jump from the glass of this inky, very dense, yet strikingly pure wine. Light on its feet despite its stunning concentration and multi-layered mouthfeel, this wine has fabulous intensity, richness and length. Quite impressive, and still incredibly youthful, this is a superstar of the vintage, and capable of lasting another 25-30 years. (6/2015)