- Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2021 has been released at £1,090 per 12×75.
- Neal Martin scored the wine 92-94 points.
- Many recent vintages like 2019 and 2018 offer better value.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2021 has been released at €91.20 per bottle ex-négociant, down 5% on the 2020’s opening price. Volumes released are down 45% on last year.
It is being offered by the international trade for £1,090 per 12×75. Many recent vintages including 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2015 look better value compared to today’s release. See more pricing analysis below.
Critics’ scores
Neal Martin (Vinous) scored the wine a barrel range of 92-94 points. In his tasting note, he said that ‘Fabien Teitgen and his team have overseen a superb Smith Haut-Lafitte’ but added that he ‘suspect[s] that it will not reach the heights of the 2010 or the 2016’.
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) noted that the wine was ‘rich and explosive in the glass’. He explained that the intensity was ‘the result of low yields of just 20-22 hectolitres per hectare, about half of what is typical here’. He scored it 95-97 points.
James Suckling awarded it 96-97 points and said that it was ‘well-framed and structured with a fresh, lengthy and spicy finish’.
Jane Anson observed that ‘this is a cool climate savoury vintage where the best wines offer clarity of flavour and precision, and you are given a masterclass here in how to do that effectively.’ She awarded the wine 95 points.
William Kelley (Wine Advocate) scored this ‘brilliant wine’ 93-95 points, and said that it was a ‘testament to the Cathiard family’s unwavering commitment to quality’.
Fair Value analysis
Smith Haut Lafitte prices don’t show correlation to Benchmark Critic scores or age. However, they are 71% correlated to Wine Advocate scores, which Liv-ex members on Silver+ packages can view via our Fair Value Tool.
Many older vintages offer better value than today’s release. These include the 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages, which have all been scored higher and are available for lower prices.
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2021 page contains everything you need to know about this year’s campaign. You can also sign up for our daily En Primeur email alerts using the form below.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 580+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.
