Country: France

Region: Bordeaux - Pessac-Leognan

Vintage: 2020

Cépage: Cabernet Sauvignon (65%); Merlot (30%); Cabernet Franc (4%); Petit Verdot (1%)

Size: 750 ml

Rating(s): 95+ (RP); 100 (JD); 99 (JS)

" 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."

Jeb Dunnuck (JD) - 03/23