Winemaker Notes
Le Petit Haut Lafitte red 2020 is extremely fine with silky tannins and beautiful aromas and flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-bodied, with notes of blackcurrant, liquorice and dark chocolate. A great finesse and a good structure with a lot of aging potential.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Dark blackcurrant on the nose, really speaking of the Cabernet Sauvignon with medicinal herbal touches too, mint, bramble and dark chocolate. Very gently chewy, such a subtle bounce to the palate with the ripe fruit coming through giving the density while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives the strength, the structure and the backbone. It expands outwards, penetrating the sides of the mouth but retaining a sense of refinement. It doesn't feel like it's been overworked, there's tension but nothing harsh. Structured and serious but also there's lots of life with great acidity and a mouthfilling crushed stone texture. Really delicious and I love the outward freshness. A lovely Petit in 2020 that will also age well. Serious but captivating. Ageing 14 months, 15-20% new oak
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Jeb Dunnuck
A more structured, serious wine, the more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2020 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte has pure cassis and ripe black cherry fruits as well as medium to full-bodied richness, ripe, velvety tannins, classic notes of leafy tobacco and spice, and a great finish. It stays in the pure, focused style of the vintage and is going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. It will keep for 10-15.
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Vinous
The 2020 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is a gorgeous second wine. Dark cherry, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice, plum, spice and tobacco infuse the 2020 with striking aromatic nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, and that is very much in evidence in the wine's flavor profile and overall structure. There's terrific depth and density here, not to mention tons of character. Best After 2025.
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James Suckling
Very floral with sliced oranges, currants and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, fresh, crunchy and delicious. Lovely energy.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More serious and structured than the Hauts de Smit, reflecting the larger proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, the 2020 Le Petit Haut Lafitte reveals aromas of cassis, plums, bay leaf and smoke, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and incisive palate framed by youthfully chalky tannins.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.