Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte
Pessac-Léognan in Graves
Bordeaux in France

The 18th century estate is located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly. From 1958 to 1990, it was owned by Bordeaux négociant Eschenauer. Daniel Cathiard, an Olympic skier who purchased the estate off the back of the family’s chain of supermarkets and sporting goods stores, with his wife, Florence are credited for prospering this estate with vast improvements to the estate’s infrastructure and International profile. Today the estate is still overseen by its pair of owners; Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who are assisted by Fabien Teitgen and Oenologist Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon. Michel Rolland retired from advising estates in Bordeaux in 2007.

The vineyards has some 56 hectares of 30 year old vines, of which 45 hectares goes to the reds with planting of total 56 hectares, of which 45 hectares are planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The rest goes to white varietals, namely 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon.

Smith-Haut-Lafite’s wine offering and bottling is summarized as below:

Smith-Haut-Lafite Rouge (Red): 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc fermented for 32 days, 15 to 18 months in 50 to 80% new barrels before bottling and release. 9,000 cases are made per year.

Smith-Haut-Lafite Blanc (White): 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon. 12 months in 50% new barrels before bottling and release. 2,500 cases are made per year.

Les Hauts de Smith (Red): This second wine mimics the Rouge with the same make-up, perhaps of a lesser quality with some 5,500 cases made per year.

The estate’s wine style; the red wine is usually, with a bouquet of ripe red and black berry fruit with hints of licorice, violet and some earth. Strong acidity, citrus, apple, peach characterize its powerful white sibling with both styles both clean and with a good finish showing on the palate.

From what I was told by Daniel Cathiard as part of his Asian visits to Shanghai, Beijing, Macau, and Singapore in April 2008, the estate wines exports some 80% of its total production while the remaining is retained for local consumption. Smith-Haut-Lafite wines are priced attractively, sometimes of reasonable value upon release, and remains within reach and affordable to the average wine consumer’s reach.

Click here: Interview with the Man Behind The Bottle: Daniel Cathiard

Contact Details:
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte
33650 Bordeaux-Martillac
France
Tel: +33 5 5783 1122
Fax: +33 5 5783 1121
Email: d.cathiard@smith-haut-lafitte.com, or f.cathiard@smith-haut-lafitte.com
Website: Click here.

Further Reading:
1855.com
Berry Bros & Rudd
Decanter
Mark Squires’ Bulletin Board on eRobertParker.com
The Wine Doctor
Vinfolio.com
Wine.com
Wikipedia

.

1998 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

F29122006. 12.5%. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 18 months in 80% new oak before bottling and release. Decanted for 2 hours. Medium-bodied, a beautiful and first impression to Smith-Haut-Lafite’s rouge which with fine minerals, the atypical Graves earthiness intermingled with mineral, generous dark fruit, and a wharf of soft fruit coated tannins with a good finish. Nice stuff which got better with aeration. Drink between 2006 and 2019.

2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

TH17042008. 13.0%. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 18 months in oak before bottling and release. A superb and outstanding bouquet of very intense primary fruit of black fruit brambles. Medium-bodied, tight, finesse, with minute mineral and tobacco tones. Lots of structure with an equal amount of sweet red fruits, great ripeness, juicy tannins and a good medium finish. This wine should continue to evolve positively for decades to come. Lovely stuff, but pricey. Drink between 2008 and 2021.

2002 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

F29122006. TH17042008. 13.0%. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. 18 months in oak before bottling and release. Mainly black currants with light green in the aftertaste. Light to medium-bodied, good dark fruit, with less expression as compared to its earlier and later peers, 2000, 2004. Tart and hard with dry, supple tannins. Medium finish. As tasted and shown in the glass; its best selling point, the bouquet did not develop or progress much in the glass as much as we hope to. Drink between 2008 and 2018.

2004 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

TH17042008. 13.0%. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 18 months in oak before bottling and release. A modernized wine with a Bordeaux brand tag of sweet black berry, currants, coffee. Medium-bodied, vanilla, with fleshy and dry but integrated tannins, short finish. A nicely crafted wine which will do better with sufficient bottle aging. Drink between 2012 and 2020.

.

Daniel Cathiard purchased Château Cantelys back in 1994. Today, the vineyards total some 30 hectares with 20 hectares devoted to plantings of some 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot. In the run-up to harvest, the grapes are sorted and de-stemmed perior to fermentation for 3 to 4 weeks. 14 months in oak with fining before bottling and release. For more information, please click here.

As Daniel explained; Cantelys is a good wine to drink on a daily basis, one with its own character, with good value and appeal to the sophistication of Asian wine consumers and drinkers. In his own words, Cantelys has room to grow and stand out, possessing some 20% likeness to Smith-Haut-Lafite, at a third of the Grand Vin price, of course.

2000 Château Cantelys
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

TH17042008. 13.0%. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30% Merlot, 14 months in oak before bottling and release. A loveable daily pleaser with aromatic properties of good black fruit, cassis, black currants and youthful skin. Medium-bodied, with a little depth, concentration, but lacks complexity with dryness, wood tannins, medium acidity and a rather short dry finishing. Beautiful Graves which is on par and rivals French Cru Bourgeois, it maybe worth your glass if the price is reasonable. Enjoyable now. Drink between 2006 and 2013.

2001 Château Cantelys
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

TH17042008. 13.0%. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30% Merlot, 14 months in oak before bottling and release. Medium-bodied, light with soft tannins, savory, with a simple short finish. Drinkable now. From 2008 to 2010.

2005 Château Cantelys
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

TH17042008. 13.0%. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30% Merlot, 14 months in oak before bottling and release. As in line with vintage expectations over the hype of the 2005 vintage in Bordeaux, almost everyone’s a winner! Depth, concentration of dense red fruit brambles. Medium-bodied, tight like a velvety glove, with superb sweet red fruits singing on the palate, and a delicious juicy finish coated and sent off by fruit coated tannins. Drink from 2013 to 2020.

.

Photograph and text by Daniel. Hit us with your best shots; we’ll try our best to listen. Send your inquiries or comments here or via email to jiuwine@gmail.com.