Le Petit Haut Lafitte Rouge 2017 (RP90)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Le Petit Haut Lafitte delivers a slightly broody nose of tar, new leather and truffles over an emerging core of warm plums, mulberries and boysenberries with a touch of anise. Medium-bodied, the palate offers loads of black cherries and savory hints with a plush frame and earthy finish.A few low-lying vines and a small section near the trees were lost to frost this year at Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, but this vineyard got off lightly compared to other estates in Pessac-Leognan. The frosted areas were those that would have gone into the second labels: Les Hauts de Smith and Le Petit Haut Lafitte. However, the Cathiards’ other estate in this commune, Chateau Cantelys, lost 60% of the crop to the frosts.”The seeds were not totally ripe this year, so extraction was more about maceration with very gentle extraction, so as not to pull out the bitter seed tannins,” commented winemaker Fabien Teitgen. He managed to use a small proportion of whole bunch—about 25%—for the Merlot component this year, while the other 75% was produced with whole berries.