Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2005

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "This sensational, opaque blue/purple-colored wine from Smith Haut Lafitte has a gorgeous floral nose with notes of graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and cassis that jump from the glass of this inky, very dense, yet strikingly pure wine. Light on its feet despite its stunning concentration and multi-layered mouthfeel, this wine has fabulous intensity, richness and length. Quite impressive, and still incredibly youthful, this is a superstar of the vintage, and capable of lasting another 25-30 years."

JEB DUNNUCK: "well! The 2005 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a prime example of the vintage and offers a huge, rich, concentrated style as well as classic dark fruits, tobacco, scorched earth and graphite aromas and flavors. While this is a tannic vintage, the tannins here are sweet and polished and covered by fruit. With stunning purity of fruit, notable freshness, and a great, great finish, drink this beauty anytime over the coming two decades."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur-Lila. Nobles, nach Kirschen duftendes Bouquet, wunderschöne Röstnoten, Nussnuancen, hell gerösteter Kaffee, dominikanischer Tabak, sehr vielschichtig. Samtiger Gaumen, viel Souplesse in den reichen Gerbstoffen, tolle, frische Fruchtsüsse vom Extrakt ausgehend, erst im Nachklang die viel versprechenden Reserven zeigend. Mit dem grossartigen 2005er ist Daniel Cathiards Traum in Erfüllung gegangen, eines Tages zu den Besten der Appellation zu gehören."

JAMES SUCKLING: "An impressive nose of spices, dark fruits, and fresh forest flowers. Full-bodied, this has a solid core of fruit and super polished tannins. A fabulous wine, showing great structure and harmony, and a long, long finish. Beautiful stuff. Pull the cork in 2015."

DECANTER: "I had two wines on the night of my birthday this year, shared among four of us on the terrace of Rouge bar at Sources de Caudalie hotel in Martillac. The first was Château Oliver 2014, a white wine that I have long championed as being one of the best in Bordeaux. Both were beautiful, but this Smith Haut Lafitte stood out for its grace, and its generosity of spirit. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the tannins were sweet, softened but still confident, rich with autumnal fruits, just the right dash of chocolate and liquorice without straying over the line. A wonderful bottle shared with some of my dearest friends, is there anything better? Oh, and the date of my birthday by the way, June 22nd. The day before the EU referendum. Somehow the year seemed more peaceful then – and it makes this wine all the sweeter."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Coffee, smoke, baked cherries, tar, caramel and thyme open the nose. Combining round textures with freshness, this can be enjoyed now, as you can see from the secondary notes, if you allow it an hour or two of air. But a few more years will add more softness and complexity along with additional time to integrate the oak into the wine."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Mulled blackberry, fig and black currant fruit leads the way here, as this has a richness that imparts appeal now, while ample bay leaf, tobacco and humus accents keep this grounded through the finish. Delivers a lovely mix of sweetness of fruit and mouthwatering savory notes.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030. 10,000 cases made."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fast schwarzer Kern, violette Reflexe, in der Nase Anklänge von edler Schweizer Schokolade, sehr süße, einladende Frucht, suggestiv und sexy. Am Gaumen sehr komplex, die Tannine sind gut eingewoben, herrlicher Nougat, aber auch eine frische Säure, tolle Länge. Wird bereits früh antrinkbar sein, kann umso länger in vollen Zügen genossen werden. - BEST BUY"