In June 2018, Daniel Cathiard, co-owner of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Pessac-Leognan, along with General Director/winemaker Fabien Teitgen, welcomed the Governors of the Commanderie de Bordeaux aux États-Unis for a master class and vertical tasting of their red wines (“much harder to make than the white wine,” said Cathiard, due to more intense competition among reds). A range of vintage conditions were showcased to demonstrate the effects of weather, particularly the quantity of solar energy and rainfall, on the wine produced. Teitgen described the resulting tannins in terms of shape: “straight” vs “round”-- and said that the original shape does not change as the wine ages, although it can meld into other elements. Likewise, wine profiles leaned either towards breadth or length. The 2007 vintage saw less sun and more rain. It underwent gentle extraction-- tannins obtained from skins and not pips-- in order to maintain balance, and as a result is elegant and complex, rather than dense and powerful. The 2011, from a dry, cool year and early crop affected by drought, had more density but “straight” tannins. 2009 was exotic and easy to approach in its youth, with greater breadth, whereas 2010 had a classic Bordeaux style, with more acidity due to lower seasonal temperatures (“10% less energy than ‘09”), more freshness and length. However, both wines had the same quantity of round tannins. The 2015 had harvest conditions midway between ‘09 and ‘10, resulting in round tannins and an overall balance somewhere between those two years.
Tasting suggestion: Ch. Smith-Haut-Lafitte (rouge) 2009.
Негізгі бет Château Smith Haut Lafitte Master Class with Daniel Cathiard and Fabien Teitgen
Пікірлер: 1