Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Les Hauts de Smith

Pessac-Léognan, France

2022

Vintage

Varietal

Bordeaux Blend

Peak 2028-2036

Where it is, October 2026

Approaching Peak: the peak window is ahead.

In 2026 the 2022 Les Hauts de Smith red sits inside its drinking window (open since 2025) but still a clear two years short of its core peak, which the estate posted timeline pegs at 2028 through 2036. Right now the wine reads young and slightly grippy. The Cabernet-led mid-palate is forward but the tannins (rated 7 on the structural scale) have not yet softened, and the licorice and dark spice notes that define the bottle structural axis are still in front of the fruit rather than woven through it. Decant aggressively if drinking now, or set it down for the 2028-onward window where the 2022 Bordeaux vintage producers expect everything to integrate. Squarely a 'hold or decant hard' bottle at four years from harvest, not yet at peak.

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The ‘22 Les Hauts de Smith.

The 2022 Les Hauts de Smith is Smith Haut Lafitte second-wine red, currently in window but pre-peak, built to hold through the 2030s.

Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) drinking timeline

Full drinking arcYou are here · approaching peak, 2026

Storage and bottle condition can shift the experience.

Full drinking arc 2025-2040Peak window 2028-2036

The peak window sits inside the broader full drinking arc.

Tasting note

Dark ruby in the glass, opaque to the rim, with a slow, viscous sheet on the swirl. The nose leads with black cherry, cassis and a savory edge of espresso and dark chocolate, then opens onto licorice, dried mint, fresh orange zest and the distinct juniper-and-cassis lift that Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux Blend reds carry. The palate is full but not heavy, with a moderate 6 body weight and balanced 7-level acidity that keeps the dark fruit pure rather than jammy. Tannin is the headline structure here, sitting around 7, fine-grained but still grippy on the close. Dark plum and mulberry carry through the middle, then the finish narrows on a mineral-spice note (Pessac graphite, nougat, light cedar from the 50 percent new oak frame). A wine that telegraphs its peak architecture clearly but is still folding its parts together.

The 2022 vintage

For Pessac-Léognan reds, the 2022 vintage was the long-awaited completion of the post-2018 sequence. Wine Spectator graded it Classic at quality 5, scoring the Left Bank red region 95 points and labeling it 'a new paradigm for Bordeaux' built on fleshy fruit, unusually pure aromatics, and an oddly balanced low-acid plus high-pH chemistry that defies the heat profile. The summer was very warm and very dry from start to finish, with only essential June and August rains; the dry season concentrated the Cabernet Sauvignon especially well, and the resulting reds show forward black fruit and lifted floral nuances that producers and critics had not expected at these temperatures. For drinkers, 2022 reads as more consistent than the 2018 through 2020 trio across producers and tiers.

About Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Les Hauts de Smith is the red second wine of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé in the Cathiard family since 1990. The estate practices certified biodynamic viticulture across 78 hectares of mixed gravel and clay-gravel soils, with hand-harvest into small crates and gravity-flow vinification into the cellars. The second-label reds typically come from declassified parcels and younger-vine blocks, with the blend running Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy and aged about 12 months in around 30 percent new French oak (lighter than the grand vin 50 to 60 percent new oak ratio). The Les Hauts de Smith 2023 is the natural cross-vintage reference point at the same tier.

From the cellar: pair with

Roasted rack of lamb with herb crust

Cabernet-led tannin around 7 frames the rack char and fat, and the wine licorice and mint notes parallel the herb crust without competing with it.

Beef short ribs braised in red wine and rosemary

The full 6-plus body weight matches the braise deep collagen-rich texture, and the dark plum and espresso notes line up with the reduction sauce while tannin resets the palate.

Aged Comté cheese with walnuts and quince paste

Aged Comté nuttiness meets the wine juniper and cassis on the nose, and the medium-to-full body and grippy tannin handle the cheese intensity without flattening the fruit.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 60-64F (16-18C)
Decanting: Decant 90-120 minutes in 2026; the tannins are still forward and need air.
Cellar Storage: 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.

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Frequently Asked

When should I drink the 2022 Les Hauts de Smith?

The canonical CAI full drinking arc is 2025-2040. Within that arc, the peak window is 2028-2036. The full arc is the broader period the wine may drink well; the peak window is when it is most likely to show its best balance. Storage, fill level, cork condition, and preference can shift the decision. Taste before adding more air or holding the rest.

Does it need decanting?

Yes. In 2026 you should decant 90 to 120 minutes before serving to soften the still-young tannins and let the dark fruit unwind. By 2030 the same bottle will likely only need 30 to 45 minutes; by 2036 you can serve nearly straight from the bottle as the structure further integrates.

What is the difference between this and the grand vin?

Les Hauts de Smith is the second wine, made from declassified and younger-vine parcels, aged in about 30 percent new French oak versus the grand vin higher 50 to 60 percent new oak ratio. It drinks earlier (open 2025 versus the grand vin 2030 or later) and is built for medium-term cellaring (decline 2040) rather than 25-plus-year holds.

How does it compare to the 2023 vintage?

The 2022 is the warmer, more concentrated vintage with Wine Spectator Classic grade, while the 2023 was lighter and fresher, with mildew pressure forcing earlier harvests at most properties. The 2022 will outlast the 2023 in the cellar by roughly four years and reads denser through the mid-palate; the 2023 reads more aromatic and approachable on release.