Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Seventeenth to nineteenth century: foundation and the making of a name
Winegrowing at Château Smith Haut Lafitte goes back to the seventeenth century. The first person to make wine here was the estate's owner of the day, a British merchant named George Smith — he bought land in the area and began producing wine, and the château takes its name from him. Through the eighteenth century the property prospered commercially and its reputation grew. From the late eighteenth into the early nineteenth century in particular, Smith Haut Lafitte came to be held in high regard across Bordeaux, and its name travelled around the world.

The twentieth century: changing hands, uneven quality
The 1900s brought several changes of ownership. Through the Second World War and the decades that followed, the quality of the wine was inconsistent. From the 1950s and 1960s, however, the estate began to attract attention once more, and by the 1960s serious efforts were under way to raise standards.

The 1990s to today: the Cathiard family and a transformation
The real revolution began when the Cathiard family took ownership in the 1990s. In 1996 they adopted biodynamic viticulture and set about making wine in harmony with the natural world. Quality improved dramatically, and the château won the admiration of wine lovers and critics the world over.

The estate and its own cooperage
The Cathiards were not content simply to pursue better wine; they invested heavily in the facilities to make it. Most notable is the estate's own cooperage, which allows them to fine-tune the ageing of each wine and to build a flavour that is distinctly their own. Two second wines The château also produces two second wines: Les Hauts de Smith and Le Petit Haut Lafitte. The first is elegant and generously flavoured, reflecting the house style with a softer touch; the second is fruitier and more immediately approachable, made to be enjoyed young.