Le Petit Haut Lafitte by Smith Haut Lafitte 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

A flagship property in Martillac thanks to the quality of its facilities and its openness to wine tourism with the superb Les Sources de Caudalie establishment (a five-star hotel and spa with a two-Michelin-star restaurant, La Grand’Vigne), Smith Haut-Lafitte is also a pioneer in its category for its viticulture philosophy, which Daniel Cathiard describes as bio-precision, the aim being to combine the best of nature with the best of science. Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who acquired the property in 1991, can be proud of the work accomplished on the 78 hectares of vineyards. Respect for the terroir, precision in winemaking, integrated cooperage, dynamic communication: in just a quarter of a century, the Cathiards have become part of the Bordeaux legend! The wines have found their true personality: gone are the excesses of oak, they are now racy, perfectly expressing their terroir and bursting with energy. Hauts-de-Smith and Le-Petit-Haut-de-Smith receive the same attention as the grand vin, and it shows!

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About wine:

It will need to open up further to reveal its full potential, as it is currently tight and firm on the palate. A wine full of fruit juice, suitable for medium-term aging, which already reveals beautiful smoky notes and sweet licorice.

About the estate:

The Cathiards are a shining example of success in French viticulture. After purchasing the estate in 1990, they focused on quality, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and positioned it as a high-end commercial venture, notably by creating a wine therapy center. Like more and more châteaux, Smith Haut-Lafitte is adopting an "organic" approach: using organic antibotrytis treatments, practicing massal selection, plowing with horses, making compost, etc.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

What a journey this estate has been on since 1990, the year Florence and Daniel Cathiard bought it! From a classified growth in ruins and a vineyard that had been virtually abandoned, these two new winemakers—he trained in retail distribution and she in communications—have made a name for themselves. First, they produced a wine that is undoubtedly among the elite of Bordeaux production, and then they made Smith Haut-Lafitte an essential stop on any wine tourism itinerary. While the wines were sometimes a little too ripe and oaky in their early days, their style has greatly refined over the past ten years. The texture of the reds and the measured extraction with more delicate tannins have resulted in wines that are more in line with current tastes and less demonstrative. The whites have also followed this trend, with a much less pronounced influence of aging in recent vintages. The success continues: Smith Haut-Lafitte wines are enjoying international success and strong price growth.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

One of the two seconds of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, it is distinguished by a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. This gives the wine a superb structure accompanied by ripe tannins and juicy black fruit. It comes from the young vines of the vineyard, with the exuberance of youth reflected in the fruity character of this wine.