1
Bordeaux

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

4.3
(26 customer reviews)
A great name for a great story. Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a historic wine estate in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, has established itself as one of the pillars of sustainable viticulture. Thanks to its innovations and the ambition of its new owners, Florence and Daniel Cathiard, Château Smith Haut Lafitte has only one goal: to pass on the excellence... Find out more
Recommended by
Parker Wine Advocate - Jancis Robinson - Wine Spectator
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Best rated white wines
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The winemaker

History


Its history began in 1365 when an important family, very noble at the time, signed the first deed of ownership. It was the Du Bosq family, cousins of the Valois, who bought these few strips of land and named the estate "Haut Lafitte". As the vines were located at the top of the hill, the idea of naming the estate "Lafitte" (on the hill) was an obvious one for the Du Bosq family. In the 18th century, another man was to change the course of the estate's history: Georges Smith. This Scottish wine merchant took over the estate and added his name to it... This was the birth of Château Smith Haut Lafitte as we know it.

Georges Smith took advantage of his knowledge of the English-speaking market to satisfy lovers of "French Claret". Subsequently, the Château changed owners several times, starting with Lodi-Martin Duffour-Dubergier, then mayor of Bordeaux, in 1842: he led the estate to the 1855 classification.

The Louis Eschenauer trading house took over in 1957, investing heavily to develop the Château's production and reputation. In 1990, Florence and Daniel Cathiard became the new owners, with a single ambition: to reveal the full potential of this unique terroir while respecting nature...

The vineyard and its innovations


The vineyard has a surface area of 78 hectares: 67 hectares are dedicated to producing red wine, i.e. over 85% of the surface!
Located in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, just a few kilometers from the Garonne River, its vines are planted on Günzian gravel soil: just one of the secrets of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. This remarkable soil gives the wines their fine structure and finesse, recognized by wine lovers the world over...

But the estate's renown is no accident; it's a combination of innovations that enable it to produce fabulous wines today. Over the years, work has been carried out to improve viticulture techniques (with new tools) and winemaking (a recently renovated winery). A commitment has also been made to preserving the soil and biodiversity of the vineyard.

A veritable philosophy known as bio-precision was born, giving rise to numerous actions: working the soil with horses, adding organic compost, hand-picking the grapes, planting hedges and beehives... as well as a winery producing its own energy, without releasing CO2!
It is also one of the only estates to have a nursery for new plants and a Master Cooper for barrel design, an indispensable tool in the making of great wines...
22 wines available
between 34.49 € and 180.72 €
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