Special tasting
Chateau Clarke versus Le Petit Haut Lafitte, Bordeaux, 2018
Again Le Petit Haut Lafitte, Bordeaux, 2018 Won!
I have previously reported Le Petit Haut Lafittee here, thus I won’t waste time reporting it again, as below. Meanwhile, Chateau Clarke is also one of our favorite Cru Bourgeois, we have covered it for multiple vintages, you can read some past tasting notes to get an idea the origination of Chateau Clarke. Chateau Clarke is bold and chunky, predominantly sweet lush cherries, thanks to the heat of 2018. While Le Petit Haut Lafitte is a demure Bordeaux wine, not that it lacks fruits, in fact it’s equally bold compared to Chateau Clarke when it comes to fruits and complexity. In addition, Le Petit Haut Lafitte possesses the kind of finesse and elegance not found in Chateau Clarke. Tonight my heart goes to Le Petit Haut Lafitte as the overall winner of the dual showdown (10/04/2024)
Wine By Bok - 9.5/10 Stars
I have been following Smith Haut Lafitte’s wines for more than a decade, especially their second wine Le Petit Haut Lafitte. The quality is improving every year since 2009 (this is the vintage I started following this wine). 2010 is great, follow by 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (in ascending vintage quality improvement), we skip 2017 as it’s conceived as a poor Bordeaux vintage. We all know 2018 is a great Bordeaux vintage, when I open this bottle, the quality still stuns me as THE BEST LE PETIT HAUT LAFITTE I HAVE EVER TASTED! Bouquet of very prominent dark cherry, blackberry, black currants and light vanilla. A sip and I swear it’s so addictive I finish the whole bottle in less than an hours’ time! I must confess it’s a very difficult to describe content, as there’s no precedence for Bordeaux wines produce in such style; It definitely has the pedigree of the past vintages, but in a more amplified way. Extremely lively content, the cherry is like dancing on my palate non-stop, so fresh and so engaging, that I must make a strong statement here: This is definitely the BEST wine you can find in the market under $100. I’m happy to take challenges from strong contenders like Les Forts de Latour, Pavillon du Chateau Margaux or Carraudes de Lafite, I can guarantee their pleasure quality never come close to Le Petit Haut Lafitte, this is a truly unique wine that’s worth every drinker’s attention. It’s not easy for Bok to write such a bold statement, but after drinking Bordeaux for more than 20 years, I use my reputation to guarantee the satisfaction. (2/8/2021)
Vinous - 93 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2018 Le Petit Haut Lafitte. A powerful, deep wine, the 2018 possesses terrific energy as well as a good deal of Cabernet savoriness. I would prefer to cellar it for at least a few years as it is tightly wound today. Black cherry, blackberry jam, cloves, licorice and chocolate give this imposing red a real feeling of somber intensity. (3/2021)
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Sub-Region | Pessac Leognan |
| Classification | GCC Second Vin |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Grape | Cabernet / Merlot |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bok Rating | 9.5/10 Stars |
| ABV | 14.5% |
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