- Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 has been released at £1,080 per 12×75.
- ‘Somber and explosive’, said Antonio Galloni, awarding a score of 95-97 points.
- Buyers looking for value might want to consider the 2019, 2018 and 2016 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 has been released at €91.20 per bottle ex-négociant, down 20% on the 2022 release (€114).
It is being offered by the international trade for £1,080 per 12×75, down 13.2% on the 2022’s opening price (£1,368 per 12×75).
The 2023 vintage has a commemorative label, celebrating the visit of King Charles III that year.
See more pricing analysis below.
Critical response
Yohan Castaing (The Wine Advocate) awarded the wine a barrel score of 94-96 points. According to him, the wine is ‘brilliant, revealing a complex, elegantly oaky bouquet of dark wild berries, mulberries, blueberries, flowers and spices’.
‘The hidden depths and slow build that elevates the always-seductive character of Smith Haut-Lafitte into one of the truly exceptional wines of Bordeaux are fully on display’ said Jane Anson , scoring the wine 96 points.
Neal Martin (Vinous) called the wine ‘excellent’ and awarded a score of 94-96 points. He adds that as it is ‘one of the most structured Smith Haut Lafitte’s in recent years, it deserves four or five years in bottle’.
According to James Lawther MW (Jancis Robinson), the 2023 is ‘already quite open and appealing, with plenty of lift and freshness’. He awarded a score of 17/20 points.
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) awarded the wine a barrel score of 95-97 points. He called the wine ‘somber and explosive’, adding that ‘it will need many years to be at its most expressive’.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Independent) gave the wine a score of 94-96+ points. In her tasting note, she describes ‘an eruption of blackcurrant preserves, ripe plums, and baked black cherries, leading to hints of chocolate mint, violets, and unsmoked cigars, with a waft of pencil shavings’.
Pricing analysis
Today’s release price makes the 2023 one of the most expensive vintages in the market. Buyers looking for value may want to look at the 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 vintages.
The 2019 vintage, receiving a score of 96 points from Neal Martin, his joint-highest of the past decade, may offer relative value to buyers. It is available at a Market Price of £800 per 12 x75, a 32.7% discount to today’s release.
For buyers seeking wines benefitting from additional time in bottle, the 2016 may be a compelling option. Antonio Galloni awarded it 98 points, his highest score of the past decade.
Use our ready-made list to easily spot opportunities in back-vintages of Château Smith Haut Lafitte and other Left-Bank wines.
Other releases
Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was also released internationally today at £1,284 per 12×75, a decrease of 2,4% on last year’s release price (£1,439). Jane Anson awarded the wine 98 points, calling it ‘a buy’.
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 620+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 20,000 wines.
