Pessac-Léognan · Graves classified growth
Château Smith Haut Lafitte: available vintages, prices and pairings
The Smith Haut Lafitte red, vintage by vintage, with the format, the guide price and what to expect from it today: ready to drink, or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote request goes with your selection.
The vintages on the price list
Filter by budget or by “ready to drink”. Nothing is sent until you click on the quote.
The château
In Martillac, in the south of the appellation, like Latour-Martillac. Daniel and Florence Cathiard, former members of the French ski team, bought it in 1990 and brought it into the ranks of the most sought-after wines of Pessac-Léognan. The Caudalie cosmetics brand, born from the estate's grape seeds, and the Les Sources de Caudalie hotel are its neighbours.
Mostly cabernet sauvignon, merlot, a little cabernet franc and petit verdot. The château has its own cooperage. Ready at around eight years, the red keeps for twenty-five. It is a Graves classified growth for its red; the white, highly regarded, is not. Second wine: Le Petit Haut Lafitte. The other châteaux of the appellation are on the Pessac-Léognan wines page.
The vineyard covers 80 hectares in a single block, on Günz gravel: hills of pebbles deposited by the Garonne, hence the old name “Laffite”, meaning hill. The château speaks of the “most Graves of the Graves” for the smoky notes of its wines. The blend of the red varies with the year. The 2012 was harvested in a hurry, with 200 pickers, to get ahead of a tropical depression in early October; it is 55% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. The 2016 was born of a very dry summer after a wet spring, with the harvest spread over four weeks. The 2018 gave only 21 hl/ha before selection.
What to serve it with
- A vintage of ten years and more: game birds (what wine with game), roast pigeon.
- A younger vintage: lamb (what wine with lamb), rib of beef (what wine with beef), duck breast (what wine with duck).
- With cheese: firm cheeses (what wine with cheese).
Which vintage for which occasion
A name guests know: for client gifts in a wooden case (end-of-year client gifts), or for a stay at Les Sources de Caudalie, a bottle from the estate. For a birthday, the birth year, if the table has it (birth-year vintage).
Is Smith Haut Lafitte a classified growth?
Yes, a Graves classified growth for its red (1953 classification, revised in 1959). Its white is not classified, even though it is often named among the best in the appellation.
What is the link with Caudalie?
The cosmetics brand was founded by the owners' daughter using the estate's grape seeds, and the Les Sources de Caudalie hotel is built next to the vines. The wine remains the château's business.
When should you drink a Smith Haut Lafitte?
Allow eight years before opening it and twenty-five years of good drinking, a little more in a great year, a little less in a weak year or in half bottle. The table applies this rule to each line; it isn't a tasting note, and a badly stored bottle ages faster.
Are the prices shown the prices on the quote?
They're the guide prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, excluding delivery. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery grid gives the lead times. For a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.