Overall, Bordeaux is a rather sleepy area, not well prepared to receive wine lovers from all over the world to experience the wines they love so much in the area, where the wines are made. But things are changing. Wine tourism has caught up with Bordeaux. One producer that clearly is a leader in this wine-tourism movement is Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte.
We visited Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in the morning. Following the visit and tasting we enjoyed lunch at the 2 Michelin starred Restaurant La Grand' Vigne, prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse. The restaurant is part of the Les Sources de Caudalie, a complex comprising a hotel, several restaurants and a health spa, which the owners of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte constructed next to the Château.
This posting focuses on the visit of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte. A separate posting covers the outstanding wine lunch at Restaurant La Grande Vigne.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Florence and Daniel Cathiard
The noble Bosq family started growing grapes here as early as 1365. The property was purchased in the 18th century by Scotsman George Smith, who gave the estate its present name. He also built the manor house and exported his – by now famous – wine to England on his own ships. Current owners are Florence and Daniel Cathiard.
Both Florence and Daniel were professional skiers belonging to the French Olympic ski team in the mid-1960s (with triple gold medal legend at the 1968 Winter Olympics Jean-Claude Killy). After their career in sports, Daniel built a supermarket and sporting goods store imperium and Florence an advertising agency. In 1990 they bought Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte with the wealth generated by the sale of all their assets. They brought the quality of Smith-Haut-Lafitte wines to the level for which they were once renowned.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Bordeaux producer from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Grands Crus Classé for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Martillac.
The estate originates in the 14th century with the house of Verrier Du Boscq who planted vines on a gravelly plateau named Lafitte already in 1365. In 1720 it was bought by the Scotsman Georges Smith who added his name to the lieu-dit and who built the manor house of the property.
The Louis Eschenauer Company bought the estate in 1958, after having already distributed the wine from the early 20th century. In 1990, Florence and Daniel Cathiard bought Smith Haut Lafitte and embarked on a major renovation and investment program.
The vineyard area consists of 67 hectares, 56 hectares of which are planted with red grape varieties (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc). The remaining 11 hectares are cultivated with white varieties (90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris). The vineyards are located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly.
The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barrels (50% new) for 15-18 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The Grand vin, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, is annually produced in 10,000 cases of the red wine and 2,500 cases of the dry white. The second wine, Les Hauts de Smith, has a production of 5,500 cases, and exists in red, white and rosé versions. The rosé is produced as a Bordeaux AOC.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region. Before the arrival of the Cathiard Family, Château Smith Haut Lafitte - though a Classified Growth of the Graves region - bore the nickname of Sleeping Beauty.
Daniel and Florence Cathiard invested heavily, restored buildings, replaced vats, constructed a new barrel cellar, converted vineyard practices to sustainable farming and paid detailed attention to hand picking, sorting, and practices in the cellar. The proportion of new oak barrels used in the maturation process was increased and a trio of eminent oenologists (including Michel Rolland) was hired as consultants.
Having raised the wine of Smith to the highest level of quality, Daniel and Florence Cathiard were not happy to leave it at that: they also restored the 16th-century tower, renovated the 18th-century chartreuse, refurbished two underground cellars and started up a cooperage on the premises.
Private Cellar
Before finishing the visit with a tasting, we spent some time in the private cellar of Daniel and Florence Cathiard.
Tasting
We ended the tour with a tasting.
Lunch at Restaurant La Grand' Vigne, Prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse (2 stars Michelin)
Not this time, but last time we were at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, following the tour, we went over to the Restaurant La Grand' Vigne for an outstanding wine lunch, prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse, who got his second Michelin star in 2014.
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
Tour and Tasting at Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Grave - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Dinner with a View: At Restaurant L’Estacade in Bordeaux City - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City - An Update
Schiller’s Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France - An Update
Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction
How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Bio in Bordeaux: Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Winepairing Lunch at Chateau Beauséjour and Château Langais, AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, with Owner/ Winemaker Gérard Dupuy - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Tasting at Château Cheval Blanc, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Tasting at Château La Conseillante, Appellation Pomerol, with GM/ Winemaker Marielle Cazaux - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour with Dany Rolland: Château Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol– Bordeaux Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland and Benoit Prévot - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Tasting with Joël and Sandrine Duffau at Château La Mothe du Barry and Château Les Arromans in the Heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers Region - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, Barsac-Sauternes, Première Grand Cru Classé en 1855 - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Lunch at Restaurant Claude Darroze, 1 Star Michelin, in Langon, with Jean-Charles Darroze - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit: Château de Chantegrive, Appellation Grave, with Owner Marie-Hélène Lévêque - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Restaurants in Arcachon and Cap Ferret (Bassin d'Arcachon/ Bordeaux)
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret, Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château Brane-Cantenac with Henri Luston, Owner - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Lunch, Tasting and Tour at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Natalie Schyler - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Visit and Tasting at Château Poujeaux, Appellation Moulis-en-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois, with Winemaker Christophe Labenne - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Grand Cru Classé St-Estèphe, with Vineyard Manager Anaïs Maillet - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Montrose, Appellation Saint-Estèphe, 2ième Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour, Barrel Tasting and Family Dinner with Stefan and Heike Paeffgen, Château Le Reysse and Château Lassus, Vignobles Paeffgen, Appellation Médoc - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Anne Cuvelier - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 France
Wine-Pairing Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 France
Tour and Tasting at Château Beychevelle, Appellation Saint-Julien, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with General Manager Philippe Blanc - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Lunch and Tour at Château Malartic-Lagravière, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France