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Smith Haut Lafitte: All the ‘7’s from 1947 to 2017

It might be known as 'lucky seven' in some bingo halls, but vintage years ending in this number have rarely made life easy for Bordeaux red wine producers in the post-Second World War era. Jane Anson reports on a landmark tasting stretching from 1947 to 2007 at Smith Haut Lafitte, with the 2017 en primeur wines also included and three of the estate's white wines from 1987, 1997 and 2007.

I think we can all agree that it’s pretty brave to offer a vertical of ‘7’ vintage wines from Bordeaux.

It’s not a number that inspires much confidence in red wine lovers, although the vintages have historically been much kinder to whites. And while 2017 might be a notable exception in some areas, it was still a year that overall saw a white-knuckle ride for many properties and ended up with some of the most disparate results in recent memory.

 

Jane’s tasting notes for Smith Haut Lafitte wines


Editor’s note: We have included Jane’s en primeur tasting notes on the Smith Haut Lafitte red and white first wines from the 2017 vintage. It was of course marked by one of the worst frosts in living memory in Bordeaux, but, as Jane notes in her vintage overview, some great wines have been made despite it being overall an uneven year.  


Other articles for Premium members that you may like: 

Domaine de Chevalier vertical: 2000 to 2017

Château Talbot: Every vintage since 2000 tasted

 

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