Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Léognan Cru Classé de Graves 2017

One of the many bottles that I have enjoyed this year that make me want to recommend the 2017 vintage for drinking right now. It’s not going to be the most long-living of Bordeaux years, but this fragrant, nuanced bottle has a charm that is already evident, with fresh raspberries and grilled plum notes, along with liquorice, sage and gunsmoke. Showcasing the precision and finesse of the winemaking team, this can be approached now with a few hours in a carafe, although it will deepen further over the next decade. The yield in this vintage was 35hl/h after some frost. 60% new oak. Fabien Teitgen technical director. Tasted at the château during the Connoisseur Week, and again over supper at my house later in the year.