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The 2023 Grüner Veltliner is a vivid blend of crushed yellow apples, fresh apricots, chamomile and raw almond that wafts up from the glass. It presents a pretty inner sweetness offset by salty mineral tones as an air of custard swirls across the palate and tart orchard fruits slowly saturate. The 2023 tapers off with a sensation of liquid rocks offset by a minty freshness, finishing long and loaded with youthful tension. This is gorgeous today, yet with years of positive development in store for patient collectors.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2023 Rosé Mirabeau en Provence Pure makes a lasting impression as enriching notes of confectionery spice and sweet smoke complement freshly sliced nectarines. It’s silken in form, with stimulating acidity and citrus tones that add lovely depth as ripe pit fruits swirl throughout. The 2023 tapers off with admirable length, spicy and energetic, leaving a mineral tinge that adds a lovely punctuation. - Eric GuidoVinous Media | 90 VM

Named after the owner’s first daughter, the 2023 Chardonnay Paige Cuvée is absolutely stunning and shows the incredible quality this site can achieve. Based on 100% Chardonnay and aged 16 months in 45% new French oak, it offers ripe orchard fruits, orange zest, mint, and white flowers in its incredibly impressive, complex, nuanced profile. It’s medium-bodied, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, integrated oak, and a salty finish. This is magical stuff that should evolve beautifully over the coming decade. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDLarry and MaryAnn Moone began producing this wine in 2015. The site is defined by its fabulous Goldridge soils and excellent drainage. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, and fermented and aged in Burgundy-style French oak barrels for roughly 16 months, with 45% new French oak and extended ageing sur lie. No malolactic fermentation is carried out. The wine is wonderfully expressive and focused, driven by a saline acid tension and a mineral profile of white pepper and white ash. Loads of citrus fruit and zest unfurl alongside lemon curd, with subtle tropical notes of underripe pineapple and white peach, framed by delicate white-floral tones. The finish is long, juicy and vibrantly expressive.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2023 Chardonnay Paige Cuvée Ritchie Vineyard is rich, ample and effusive. Tropical fruit, apricot, white flowers and tangerine peel give the 2023 its decidedly exotic feel. Although quite rich in its flavor profile, the 2023 is relatively light on its feet texturally. This fruit was picked on October 4. Stylistically, it’s a pretty rich Chardonnay. Time in the glass tempers some of that richness as the acids emerge.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Sur La Roche 1er Cru has a lively and focused bouquet with crushed stone and light orange blossom scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of bitterness to keep this Pouilly-Fuissé on its toes. This fans out wonderfully on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes includes two parcels that were candidates for Premier Cru but denied as they were once quarries. Don’t ask me…ask the INAO! Tangibly, this has more salinity on the nose and that comes through on the palate, harmonious and poised, lightly spiced with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. What a lovely Pouilly-Fuissé!Vinous Media | 91 VM

Ornellaia owns 13 hectares of white varieties, and this 100% Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the prime Bellaria vineyard at around 100 metres above sea level on limestone soils. ‘An original expression of this grape variety’, is how Marco Balsimelli describes it. Well balanced and very fresh, it has good body and plenty of energy, with ripe notes of guava, apricot and mango. The oak vinification with batonnage lends a creamy tone and texture but it remains poised throughout, with a sapid, mineral finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECMade with Sauvignon Blanc, the 2023 Bolgheri Bianco Ornellaia shows a softer more cushiony profile than recent editions. The Sauvignon Blanc is sourced primarily from the Bellaria vineyard at 130 meters in elevation. Parcel selection played a key role in 2023, with Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia showing more exotic fruit, and the estate choose to emphasize a distinctly Mediterranean expression with riper yellow fruit tones for this wine. Fermentation is carried out with great precision with strict protection from oxygen, followed by time in barrique, with about 30% new French oak, tonneaux and amphorae. The wine ages for 10 months on the fine lees with daily bâtonnage at first, then gradually reduced. This vintage outperforms the 2022 in terms of length and polish, offering notes of white pepper, ginger, lemon peel, exotic flower and spice. This wine is scheduled for release in March 2026.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2023 Ornellaia Bianco, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is soft, open-knit and ready to go. Scents of orchard fruit, sage, white flowers, mint and white pepper open with some coaxing. In 2023, the Bianco is quite soft and generous in feel. Exotic tropical notes run through the textured, creamy finish.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Like the 2023 les Minots, the la Forêt chez Piuze is nicely expressive and generous right out of the blocks this year and will drink beautifully from the moment of release. The beautiful bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of lemon, pear, chalky minerality, fruit blossoms, beeswax and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and succulent at the core, with lovely mineral drive and grip, bouncy acids and a long, seamlessly balanced and zesty finish. Fine juice. 2025-2055.John Gilman | 93 JGThe more giving, fruit-forward 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts offers a lovely contrast to the pronouncedly mineral Séchet. “It comes from the bottom of the valley, where the soils are deeper,” observes Piuze, and it’s evident in the glass, as the wine wafts with a deep bouquet of beeswax, peach skin and pear mingling with savory tones. Flamboyant, elegantly muscular and enveloping, it’s fleshy yet laden with lively acidity, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

From a site within the climat of Les Vaillons, where the vines are planted east to west and the grape skins are never kissed by the sun, Patrick Piuze’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Les Roncières has turned out very well. Opening in the glass to reveal a bouquet of beeswax, peach and lemon zest, it is medium-bodied, textural yet racy, with lovely tension and a long, mineral finish. It retains a classically Chablisien profile even in this warm year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPI have never seen another vigneron who bottled their Chablis “Les Roncières” on its own. As this premier cru can also be bottled as Vaillons, most producers choose this direction for labeling of this wine. As I have mentioned before, Pat’s parcel in the les Minots section of Vaillons has a completely different exposition than his vines in Roncières, so the two are bottled separately for a very good reason. The 2023 version is lovely, offering up a complex nose of lemon, pear, a complex base of chalky soil, paraffin, orange peel, a touch of anise and a topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and impeccably balanced, with a very good core of fruit, fine transparency and grip, zesty acids and lovely nervosité on the long and precise finish. Fine juice. 2027-2055.John Gilman | 92+ JG

Derived from over 60-year-old vines growing in very shallow soil, with limestone bedrock close to the surface, Patrick Piuze’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is one of the highlights of the broad 28-bottle tasting across many different climats and appellations. Opening in the glass to reveal a bouquet of oyster shell, green apple and lemon zest mingling with beeswax and iodine, it’s medium-bodied, bright and precise, with mouthwatering acidity and ample structuring extract, concluding with a searingly chalky finish. If one wants to pick a bottle that’s unmistakably (even when tasted blind) Chablisien, look no further than this beautifully defined and incisive interpretation of Séchet.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2023 Chablis “les Séchets” from Domaine Piuze is also a fine example of the vintage. The wine’s aromatic constellation delivers scents of apple, pear, lemon blossoms, a lovely base of limestone soils, beeswax and a nice touch of Chablisienne straw in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely structured out of the blocks this year, with a fine core offruit, excellent mineral undertow and grip, bright acids and a long, complex and very well balanced finish. This will want a few years in the cellar before drinking with abandon. 2028-2055.John Gilman | 92+ JG

The 2023 Montmains is one of my favorite premier crus in the Piuze cellars this year. The wine’s bouquet is pure, precise and complex, offering up notes of lemon, pear, a touch of tangerine, beeswax, spring flowers, lemon peel and a beautiful foundation of chalky minerality. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and deep at the core, with great soil signature and grip, a fine spine of acidity, lovely balance and a long, focused and complex finish. Most impressive. 2028-2055+.John Gilman | 93 JGPatrick Piuze’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains has turned out well, opening from the glass with notes of acacia, pear, peach and youthful reduction. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and tensile, built around a chalky core, it’s laden with bright acidity and concludes with a long, saline finish. It’s produced from a parcel just next to Raveneau’s.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

The 2023 vintage of “Vaillons” Les Minots from Patrick Piuze is excellent. The wine’s aromatic constellation offers up a superb blend of fresh lemon, pear, tart orange, chalky soil tones, anise, spring flowers and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is deep, zesty, complex and full-bodied, with a succulent core of fruit, superb mineral undertow, bouncy acids and lovely balance on the long and vibrant finish. This will drink beautifully upon release and has the balance to age gracefully for several decades. 2025-2055.John Gilman | 92+ JGDerived from one of the warmest places in the valley, Patrick Piuze’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Les Minots is flamboyant and demonstrative, soaring from the glass with a bouquet of marzipan, peach and dried white flowers mingling with passion fruit. Enveloping and underpinned by racy acids, it’s full-bodied, rich and gourmand and, unsurprisingly, in the context of the warmer site, is among the first that is harvested. While it offers immediate appeal, it has proven to be an age-worthy bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Sourced from Pisoni Vineyard and brought up 16 months in 60% new French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay East Of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is light to medium gold-hued and offers exotic stone fruits, honeyed melon, spice, and some minty, herbal notes. Medium to full-bodied, it has a pure, layered crystalline mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a fabulous finish. It’s a rich, powerful, serious Chardonnay that will keep for 8-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden is notably fresh for a Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands, where Chardonnay can tend to lack energy. A wine of deep mineral intensity and phenolic grip, the 2023 speaks firmly, with powerful inner tension and nerve lends a ton of textural intrigue. Lemony, chalky lift enlivens the finish. Another excellent 2023 white from Paul Lato.Vinous Media | 94 VM

From the Sierra Madre Vineyard in Santa Maria and aged 16 months in 65% new French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay Le Souvenir Sierra Madre Vineyard delivers Chassagne-Montrachet minerality and white flowers, with beautiful stone and citrus fruits. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant, pure, focused mouthfeel and salty minerality on the finish. It’s another incredibly classy, pure, seamless Chardonnay from Lato that does everything right. Drink 2025-2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir has great energy and vibrancy, marrying the reductive, flinty house style with a wash of salty acidity that enlivens the palate. Chamomile, mango, mint and sweet cream unfurl in a voluptuous, full-bodied Chardonnay with real sensuality.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Pretty peach and honey scents seduce. Really briney with peach juice, lovely richness: a great example of Albariño. Puts you on assured footing of place. The palate is steely – classically so. Lemon purity and salty stoniness are very appetising and tangy. Nominated by Fiona Beckett.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2022 Albariño is from granite soils in the Salnés Valley. It shows varietal character, freshly cut grass, white flowers and fruit and the roundness of the year, with 13.5% alcohol and balancing acidity. This is bottled after four to five months with lees. It has the Señorans signature. 192,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

A driving force of appetizing acidity powers this full-bodied, brilliant, elegant and intricate wine. It offers mineral and citrus flavors in equal measure, starting with a lot of fresh lemon and lime zest aromas, then richer baked apple, lemon blossom and brown butter flavors. Feels so focused, linear and alive. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay La Carrière has intoxicating scents of white peach, grilled grapefruit and Meyer lemon plus nuances of flint, vanilla, panna cotta and lemongrass. The full-bodied palate is silky and expressive with energetic layers of flinty citrus and stone fruit. It offers high concentration for its elegant frame, and its oak spice is seamlessly integrated. It’s balanced by bright, focused acidity and has a long, dynamic finish. 2,478 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2023 Chardonnay La Carrière is wonderfully exuberant right out of the gate. Apricot, white flowers, tangerine peel, truffle, mint and lightly honeyed overtones all build in the glass. La Carrière is defined by striking mid-palate resonance and texture. It’s another gorgeous wine in this range from Peter Michael. These are the lowest-yielding Chardonnay vines on the property.Vinous Media | 95 VMFrench for “The Quarry,” the 2023 Chardonnay La Carriere comes from a steep site with a 45-degree slope and rocky, poor soils. It boasts a bright yellow color with a light haze (they don’t fine or filter), and the nose lifts with flinty wet stones, fresh pineapple, lemon curd, citrus blossoms, and an elegant, rounded vanilla perfume. The palate is medium to full-bodied and offers a silky texture, with an elegant, floating feel and delicate savory notes of Marcona almond on the finish. Drink 2026-2038.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThere’s an appealingly dense fleshiness to the peach and apricot flavors at the core, plus a touch of salted melon and a hint of salted toffee. Vanilla bean and shortbread details emerge on the finish, along with candied citrus peel. Drink now through 2036. 2,478 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Wow, so rich, mouth-filling, vibrant and delicious that it’s hard to put down the glass. Absolutely packed with baked apple, poached pear, almond croissant, brioche and lemon curd flavors. It’s linear and alive with acidity, yet layered and creamy in texture, creating a viscosity that carries the abundant flavors through a lingering finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSFrom the first vineyard of the estate, the 2023 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir has a similar bright yellow hue and a more focused feel with notes of lime zest, crushed stones, melon, sweet spices, and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied, with focused acidity, and feels more tension-driven, with a long, mouthwatering finish that floats off the palate with a mineral-toned feel. It will take time to open it, but it should have a good deal of longevity. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir has arresting scents of flint, candle smoke, crème brûlée and spice over a core of peach and guava fruit. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a silky texture, taut acidity and nuanced but youthfully coiled flavors. Concentrated and energetic, it will benefit from several years in the cellar. 1,117 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

There is good Chablis typicity present in the form of iodine, seashore and petrol along with citrus zest top notes. The delicious, vibrant and precise middle weight flavors flash good minerality on the clean, dry and saline-inflected finish. This is very good for its level and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BHThe 2023 Chablis Village was assembled for my visit by Didier Picq from 10 vats. It has an attractive if light bouquet with apple blossom and fresh pear aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little creaminess towards the finish. This will drink well for 4-6 years.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMBlend made up. Fresh pale yellow, immediate energy on the nose, this keeps growing in the glass, with good tension, even a little pleasing bitterness at the finish. Very promising. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Jul 2024.Jasper Morris | 87-90 JM

The 2023 Chablis Au Dessus des Carrières was bottled a couple of weeks prior to my visit after 12 months on the lees and a fermentation that was strung out over 12 months! It has an exquisite, beautifully defined and focused bouquet surfeit with minerals. The palate is very precise, poised, saline and tangy, with a dab of iodine toward the finish. The 2023 is excellent.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMFuller yellow, the nose showing that the bottle has been open a few days. The 2023 is fleshier than the 2024 of course but still exceptionally marine at the back. Just bottled. Very long finish. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JMPretty and nicely fresh aromas include those of just sliced pear and apple while displaying enough Chablis typicity to be convincing. The rich, generous and vibrant medium weight flavors already possess fine complexity as well as excellent length on the clean, moderately dry and balanced finale. This is a very fine villages and one that should both drink well young as well as repay mid-term keeping.Burghound | 90 BH

The 2023 Chablis Vosgros 1er Cru shows a small reduction when taken directly from vat. It eventually offers shucked oyster shell on the nose, quite strict and focused. The palate is very smooth, a little creamier in texture compared to the Vaucoupin. Touches of lemongrass and Vervane flowers lend intrigue on the finish. Real panache here and it may have its nose in front come bottling.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAn expressive and airy nose reflects an abundance of Chablis typicity that include just sliced lemon, iodine, shellfish and quinine. The rich and generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate density and a lovely texture while delivering excellent persistence on the balanced and refreshingly dry finish. This too is very good and a wine that should also amply repay mid-term keeping.Burghound | 92 BHBottled in March 2025. Pale lemon and lime, fresh for 2023. A vinous nose, touch of coconut quite generous. Not too fleshy but in a style heading in that direction. Some minerality but less precision than 2024. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is elegant and expressive! Quince and white peach are accented by wafts of matchstick, elderflower, Greek yogurt and crème brûlée. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with concentrated, nuanced flavors delivered in a silky texture. Vibrant acidity adds compelling tension, and it has a very long, elegant finish. It should be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is classy, elegant and polished. Soft contours and lifted aromatics convey total finesse. Orchard fruit, lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and acacia are all very nicely lifted. This is an especially refined rendition of Hyde.Vinous Media | 95 VM

A laser-focused, nicely lean and precise wine from a great vineyard that was one of Russian River Valley’s early chardonnay sites. It holds its crisp green apple and mineral flavors rather tightly now, suggesting a good potential for further aging. Full-bodied. Drinkable now and best from 2030.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard is a potent, intensely mineral wine, a Chardonnay that captures the personality of this site. Broad and ample on the palate, the 2023 possesses superb textural intensity and the drive to match. Slate, mint, white flowers, chalk and dried herbs linger on the polished, salivating close.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard has pure, expressive aromas of poached pears, quince, vanilla custard, matchstick and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is taut and energetic with mineral-laced flavors, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, bright finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Grapes for the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley were harvested over the course of a month, from initial picks on September 13 to the last pick on October 14. It was barrel-fermented, underwent full malolactic conversion and was matured for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels. It has open, inviting aromas of stone fruit and pineapple, panna cotta, ginger, toasted brioche and honey. The palate combines concentrated, layered flavors with fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a very long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSourced from Lafranchi, Westside Farms, Sonoma Foothills, Martinelli Laughlin, Kilcullen, Dutton Sebastopol, and Frank Johnson—all cool-climate sites with low-vigour soils such as Goldridge loam, planted between 1978 and 2017 and aged for 12 months on the lees in barrel (10% new French oak). This is clean and sleek, a beautifully balanced medium-bodied Chardonnay with luxuriously ripe stone and orchard fruit. Exotic baking spices complement layers of guava, white peach, and macerated mango with apricot. But what’s most impressive is the intensity and purity of the fruit—so precisely delineated, profoundly spicy, and laser-focused. At $50, this is one of the finest, most balanced, and well-structured Chardonnays from the Russian River Valley at this price point.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECLeaps out of the glass with intensity, offering vibrant fruit flavors of crisp Meyer lemon, apple and pear. Aromatic details of tangerine, lime sherbet and lemon blossoms add complexity alongside fresh herbal accents of lemon balm and sweetgrass. Crushed rock minerality lingers on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2039. 13,549 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSEnergetic acidity and ample fruit flavors give this full-bodied wine a sense of strength and structure. After a blast of green apple, pine bough and citrus aromas, an array of subtle baking spice, ripe pear and baked apple flavors come out as you sip. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is one of the stars in this range from Ramey. Creamy and layered, with superb persistence, the 2023 is a real standout. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and tangerine peel soar across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. What a stunner.Vinous Media | 96 VMA very pretty, fruity wine at first whiff, then it gets more concentrated, structured and tense on the palate. Medium-bodied and well braced by citrus acidity, with green apples, golden apples, baking spices and Bosc pears in a rich but lively texture. From a Martinelli family vineyard. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is exotic and perfumed! Peach, lime custard, lemongrass, pie crust and roasted almond aromas pour from the glass. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and sapid with youthfully flinty flavors. Racy acidity adds tension, and it has a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

The 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers is grown in granitic soils, as the name suggests, primarily those found in the high-elevation vineyards of Escolle (58%), Coastview (37%), and Pelio (5%), which all ripen at different times. As a result, the juice is fermented separately from each site in stainless steel and later aged in neutral barrels for 9-10 months. Smith picks the grapes relatively lean but not lacking in flavor, producing a wine that’s light on its feet. Green apple, apricot, sea spray, and racy acidity highlight a finessed, elegant framework of beautiful structure, built to age another 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThis blend of Escolle, Coastview and Pelio vineyards is a fascinating display of the range of Monterey. The nose is both welcoming with warmth and very stony in minerality, showing nectarine and paraffin aromas. The palate opens up into lively flavors of lemonade and white rose, with a ripping acidity from start to finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers offers a lovely cross section of Monterey County, hailing predominantly from the Escolle site in the northern Santa Lucia Highlands and the high-elevation Coastview in the Gabilan Mountains. The nose is pure, stony and crunchy, leading to an electric, laser-focused palate with just enough breadth to avoid austerity. It finishes with a breezy clarity and additional alpine notes after time in the glass. I suspect this will develop quite well in the cellar and could use a bit of time to fill out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers is a blend from Escolle, Coastview and Pelio, all in Monterey County. Light citrus and floral inflections grace this airy, delicate Chardonnay from Samuel Louis Smith. Brisk and inviting, the 2023 is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Another exceptional vintage for Smith-Haut-Lafite Blanc. It’s so complex and structured, offering a palate that feels similar to the texture of a red wine with a velvety tannin structure. There’s a lot going on here. Spice, crushed seashell and citrus blossom. Salty, too. Weightless and so long. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.James Suckling | 97-98 JSStrong aromatics, on the expressive side with herbal accents, spiced wood, green apple, quince, apricot, mango, peach honeycomb and elderflower. Very floral. Fresh and expansive, mineral and direct, but a good body full of fruit, freshness and honey characters. Definitely more opulent and exotic than the others in the range with hints of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango but also some lovely bitterness which adds tension to balance it out. A good combination, more vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity. Very good and very easy to drink. Ageing 50% new oak.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture, counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused, it’s somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish (perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white Pessac-Léognan.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMOne of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage, the light gold-hued 2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up a killer nose of orange blossom, honeyed citrus, toast, spice, and minty flowers. It’s medium to full-bodied and has a richly textured, layered mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a great finish. It’s probably the white of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, concluding with a mineral, fresh and long finish highlighted by delicate notes of thyme and garrigue. Comprising 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris and matured in 50% new oak, this blend is among the finest white wines produced at this address.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, the white 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is aging in 50% new oak. After a swirl or two, it prances out with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pineapple, and green mangoes, opening out to underlying hints of lime blossoms, wet slate, and fresh ginger. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and vivacious, with a racy backbone and a long, exotic fruit-laced finish. Yum!The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI