Decadent aromas here, with meat, ripe fruit and spices. Full-bodied, with round, soft tannins and lots of spicy, earthy and leafy flavors. Long and rich. Give it a little more bottle age. This has always been excellent.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008).

Now shows plums, earth and light chocolate character, and lovely balance. It’s full-to-medium-bodied with fine tannins and a very pretty finish. Just right now. Enjoy. June 2013

Medium red. Complex aromas of currant, tobacco and smoke. Dry-edged in the manner of the vintage, but vinous and precise, with subdued sweetness and solid structure. Finishes with firm but rather sweet tannins and very good length. A classic, elegant style of Smith Haut Lafitte. May 2001

This is drinking in a good place today. The nose, with its espresso, smoke, licorice, truffle and dark red berry scents has a lot to offer. Medium/full bodied and round in texture, the wine ends with black cherries, thyme and coffee notes in the lush finish. March 2016

A beautiful wine of symmetry, finesse, and elegance, this deep ruby/purple-colored offering reveals classic aromas of black currants, new wood, and scorched earth. This pure, medium-bodied, restrained, measured, graceful 1998 offers impressive overall symmetry as well as well-integrated tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.

The 1998 Smith Haut Lafitte was the vintage that signified a property that was about to be rejuvenated under Florance and Daniel Cathiard, although there was still a long way to go. Now at 20 years old, perhaps it is beginning to show its age on the nose and it has far less fruit, the aromatics dominated by cigar box and tertiary, almost leathery scents. But there is freshness here and it is almost like a Médoc in style. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly rustic tannin on the entry, a little dry in the mouth with a touch of attenuation towards the finish. Having not tasted this before, I hazard a guess that it may have peaked around a decade ago, so why not pop open any bottles you might have? Tasted at the château. May 2018