Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte’s history in Bordeaux dates back over 800 years. Verrier Du Boscq planted the first vines on this gravelly plateau named Lafitte in 1365. Scotsman George Smith purchased this Pessac-Leognan estate in 1720. Smith added his name to the property, as it has become Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. Presently, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is owned and managed by Daniel and Florence Cathiard.

The red grapes from this estate are planted in gravely soils covered with quartz pebbles. The deeper soils have sand and limestone. This is another nearly perfect award-winning performance by this chateau. A vibrant opaque purple color reveals a brooding wine with enchanting aromas of dried flowers and freshly picked orchard fruits. Complexity abounds in the core as there is a wealth of ripe mulberry and blackberry preserves with undertones of graphite, earth, and dark roasted coffee. The tannins are supple and finely grained. This wine has extraordinary youth and yet is approachable. Technical director Fabien Teitgen has set the bar high for others in St. Estephe to follow.

By W. Peter Hoyne