Smith Haut Lafitte 2018

2010 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is a deep, concentrated, nearly black color. The bouquet displays a range of red and black fruit aromas, as well as ones reminiscent of spice and warm herbs. With aeration, the wine reveals magnificent black fruit, licorice, clove, and graphite nuances.

The wine starts out firm and straightforward on the palate. It is huge, but in no way austere. Its power comes through in a full-bodied flavor profile with a long aftertaste. The tannin is rich and silky, and the texture is well-defined thanks to ripe tannin and a careful control during extraction. The wine has an extremely well-focused structure and taste. The long aftertaste of licorice, red fruit, and black fruit also features more subtle underlying flavors of hot stones and warm earth.

This 2010 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is undoubtedly one of the finest wines the estate has ever made.