LE PETIT SMITH HAUT LAFITTE
2024 Pessac-Léognan
Captures the restrained pleasure of the vintage, with tension and just-enough density through the palate to maintain momentum, juicy blackberry fruits laced with crayon and cocoa bean, and a punch of liquorice. Enjoyable, will age, give it three or four years. 21hl/h yield, Fabien Teitgen technical director. Drinking range: 2030 - 2042 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2025)
In Bond
75cl bottles (case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
60 Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 Merlot: 30% new oak: 12.8% alc: Harvested between 18 September and 9 October
There is nowhere to hide in 2024, and the gulf between successful wines and those left wanting is immense. In addition, most wines, even the most delicious and balanced, are relatively easy to inspect. They are naked and exposed; this lack of artifice makes the best seem even more defined and refined. As we know, Cabernet is King on the Left Bank, so Le Petit has the edge over the other SHL cuvée, Les Hauts, which leads with Merlot. The result is a refreshingly classical and stylish wine, bursting with honesty and deep-seated balance. It will require a good few years to blossom, but this is a hidden gem in 2024. 17.5+/20 Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)
The 2024 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte was matured in 30% new oak. It has a cohesive bouquet with black cherry, bilberry and light wilted violet aromas, a tad more expressive than the Les Hauts de Smith. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a touch more grip due to the higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, leading to a slightly tannic, graphite-tinged finish. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 88-90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
Aromas of violets, dark spices, chestnuts and dark fruit. Good ripeness, with a fresh palate full of juicy blueberries and a touch of dark chocolate. Tannins are tight but polished, with good crunchy fruit and a long finish. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2025)
60 CS 40 M 13% Some notes of spice and cedar from oak. Ripe blue fruit extract with fine tannins and some graphite of Cabernet. This bodes incredibly well for the Grand Vin as it displays none of the 'stereotypes' of the vintage with very fine tannins, good acidity, silkiness and juicy freshness, but plenty of Cabernet cassis. Long finish. Should be approachable in relative youth, but also has the power to keep well. Great job. Rating: 92 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Owned by the Cathiard family since 1990, Smith Haut Lafitte has a history that extends back to 1365. Originally owned by the Bosq Family, it was bought by Scotsman George Smith in the eighteenth century, and he gave it his name. He also built the manor house, and shipped the wine back to England.
In 1842, it passed, from his mother, to a M. Duffour-Dubergier, who was mayor of Bordeaux. His work raised the quality level and it was classified Grand Cru in the 1855 classification. The 20th century was mostly about Louis Eschenauer and his company, which distibuted the wines and eventually bought the property in 1958, investing over the time and building the barrel cellar.
The Cathiards fell in love with Smith in 1990, and have lavished care and considerable investment on it since then. Daniel Cathiard was a former ski champion, a member of the famous French Olympic team that included Jean-Claude Killy, and it was at that time that he met his wife Florence. Both have impressive track records of running businesses. Daniel built up the small chain of supermarkets that he inherited, and added a chain of sports shops, the group employing nine thousand people. Florence worked with him and also ran her own advertising company, ending up in a senior position in the McCann group. In 1990 they sold all their business interests to concentrate on Smith, where they have lived since. One of their daughters runs the Caudalie beauty products company (products based on the polyphenols extracted from grape pips), and the other two boutique hotels, including the 'Sources de Caudalie', next to Smith.
The Cathiards have since bought Château Cantelys in Martillac, and also, in 2012, part of the vineyard of Château Le Thil, as well as the house and the park. More recently they have been involved in the consortium which bought Château Bearegard (Pomerol) and Château Bastor Lamontagne (Sauternes).
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. Many properties specify a standard case format, and may make additional charges for six-bottle cases, for example. We offer wood cases of six bottles as standard where these are available without extra charge, but we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. If you want six-bottle cases where a 12 bottle case is offered, please check for the extra case charge. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£9.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2027. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.