Jeb Dunnuck: 100 Points
Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.
Vinous: 96 Points
The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte has a glorious, complex bouquet that has evolved very well in barrel. Beautifully-defined with blackberry, peony, sous-bois and crushed stone, very precise and detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, succulent tannins matched by a countervailing bead of acidity. Very detailed with a judicious touch of white pepper towards the finish that fans out extremely well. This is a deeply impressive Smith Haut Lafitte that is one of the Cathiard's finest in recent years.
Wine Advocate: 95+ Points
The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is more structured and introverted than its 2019 predecessor, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, violets and minty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its velvety attack segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by rich, generously extracted tannins that assert themselves on the long, youthfully firm finish. This is a strong effort that's true to the house style and which will reward a little patience.
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