Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2025 red

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2025 red 

“This wine has a deep, dark red colour. The first nose reveals a beautiful freshness of fresh fruit: red fruits (cherry, raspberry), black fruits (wild blackberry) and a hint of blackcurrant. With aeration, the wine reveals its enormous aromatic potential, with these notes of fresh fruit but also more delicate notes of flowers (peony) and sweet spices (fennel seed, star anise, fenugreek, mountain hay…), then another, darker dimension appears, graphite and pencil lead, with a smell of warm earth, offering superb complexity. The attack on the palate is surprisingly fresh, with a very beautiful soft and caressing texture. This initial palate is all about softness and delicacy, then the palate broadens with contained power and a very beautiful structure. It is focused, full and dense, with a very beautiful length and superb harmony. A balanced wine, with great precision, beautiful freshness and superb energy. The complexity of the nose is found again on the palate, with those crunchy fruits, very delicate floral notes and spices that enchant the finish. A very beautiful vintage of Smith Haut Lafitte, which will rank among the estate’s benchmarks.” Comments by Fabien Teitgen, Technical Director 

Vintage 2025 IN HONOUR OF DANIEL CATHIARD

The Estate

Located in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, Château Smith Haut Lafitte is today one of the leading names among the Crus Classés of Bordeaux. The estate’s history dates back to 1365, when Verrier du Bosq planted a vineyard on this gravel land. In the 18th century, the property belonged to the British navigator George Smith, who gave it his name. Since 1990, Florence and Daniel Cathiard have owned this emblematic estate. Former members of the French ski team, they immediately fell in love with the vineyard and its exceptional terroir. Their ambition is clear: to reveal the estate’s full potential while respecting its identity. In just a few decades, their vision and energy have profoundly transformed the property and placed Château Smith Haut Lafitte at the forefront of sustainable viticulture. Today the vineyard covers 85 hectares, 74 of them devoted to red wines and 11 to white wines. The Günzian gravel soils provide ideal natural drainage and form a terroir perfectly suited to high-quality viticulture. The red vineyard is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, at around 63%, complemented by Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and a small proportion of Petit Verdot. The white wines are based mainly on Sauvignon Blanc (90%), with Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. One of the estate’s distinctive features is its own cooperage, created in 1994. The oak is selected from France’s great forests and the barrels are made on site by the master cooper, so that they are perfectly suited to the style of the wines. Combining a remarkable terroir, demanding viticulture and an innovative vision, Château Smith Haut Lafitte is today one of the benchmark estates of the Pessac-Léognan appellation.