Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2005

"Honey, apple tart, light toffee, cream and piecrust. Very complex and full-bodied, with lively acidity and beautiful clove honey, red apple and lemon flavors. Long, balanced and very lively. A massive white. Layered and beautiful. Made to age, but who can wait to drink this? Best after 2010. 3,000 cases made."

96 Points

Wine Spectator

"A stunningly, rich, concentrated effort, the 2005 may be one of the finest whites Smith Haut-Lafitte has ever produced. It exhibits notes of honeyed oranges, honeysuckle, spring flowers, lemon grass, and melons. Gorgeous acidity, excellent concentration, and a beautiful texture result in an impressive, full-bodied wine to consume over the next two decades."

95 Points

The Wine Advocate

"Pale yellow. Pure aromas of grapefruit, lemon drop, pear and spicy, vanillin oak. Dense and sweet, with lovely floral lift and bright acids leavening the wine's creamy richness. This is wonderfully layered in the middle palate, and finishes with superb palate-staining persistence. "The same blend as always," says Florence Cathiard, "but richer in every respect." Range: 92-94"

94 Points

International Wine Cellar

"Clean and pure with beautiful ripeness, this wine's fruit has been concentrated and focused through oak aging, which blunts its full expression until it has long exposure to air (or enough time in bottle). As it opens, the stoniness of the wine develops along with potent flavors of quince and fresh melon. The structure is staunch, almost tannic in its grip, a powerful wine built for the cellar."

93 Points

Wine & Spirits