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Smith Haut Lafitte

Fabien Teitgen, who has been technical director here since 2001, vinified the 2003 with 70% to 80% whole clusters, then carried out a long but gentle cuvaison, keeping the fermentation temperature low and using only the most minimal pigeages (just a few minutes every two days) to keep the cap wet. The estate also experimented in 2003 by doing a portion of the alcoholic fermentation in barriques (60 barrels' worth, to be exact), using the method introduced by Girolate, except that Smith Haut Lafitte took advantage of a large stainless steel entry point on the front of its barrels through which the fruit could be more easily inserted. While owners Florent and Daniel Cathiard, as well as Teitgen, are not convinced that alcoholic fermentation in barriques is an especially valuable innovation, there's little doubt that their young 2003 is an especially pliant, sweet, fruit-driven wine. The yield was a very low 25 hectoliters per hectare, alcohol is close to 13%, and the pH is a high 3.9.

From The Annual Red Bordeaux Report (May 2004) by Stephen Tanzer

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2002 Pessac-Leognan Blanc

Color: White

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