Les Hauts de Smith 2011 - Second vin du Château Smith Haut-Lafitte

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A ruby red color of medium intensity, a pleasant, slightly creamy aroma, a supple body, and smooth tannins: a fruity, light-bodied wine that finishes with deliberately soft tannins.

About the estate:

Martillac’s flagship estate, renowned for the quality of its facilities and its commitment to wine tourism, featuring the superb Sources de Caudalie complex (a 5-star hotel-spa and the two-Michelin-starred restaurant La Grand’Vigne), Smith Haut-Lafitte is also a pioneering vineyard in its category for its viticultural philosophy, which Daniel Cathiard describes as “bio-precision,” with the goal of combining the best of nature with the best of science. Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who acquired the estate in 1991, can be proud of the work accomplished across the 78 hectares of vineyards. Respect for the terroir, precision in winemaking, an integrated cooperage, and dynamic communication: in just a quarter of a century, the Cathiards have firmly established themselves in the legend of Bordeaux! The wines have found their true personality: gone are the days of excessive oak; they are now racy, perfectly expressing their terroir and brimming with energy. Hauts-de-Smith and Le-Petit-Haut-de-Smith receive the same care as the grand vin, and it shows!

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Fruity, woody aroma. A powerful, tannic red wine.

About the estate:

The Cathiards are a success story in the French wine industry. After purchasing the estate in 1990, they shifted its focus toward quality—both in the vineyard and in the cellar—and positioned it as a high-end brand, notably by establishing a wine therapy center on the premises. Like an increasing number of châteaux, Smith Haut-Lafitte has adopted a "bio-organic" approach: using organic anti-botrytis treatments, practicing mass selection, plowing with horses, and making compost...

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Les Hauts de Smith 2011 is a magnificent wine with a deep ruby-purple color, featuring rich notes of blackcurrant, graphite, smoke, and floral aromas. Charming, round, and full-bodied, it is best enjoyed over the next 12 to 15 years.

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 took it over! Starting with a Cru Classé in ruins and a vineyard that was virtually abandoned, these two new winemakers—he trained in the retail sector and she in communications—have built a name for themselves that carries real weight. First, they set out to produce a wine that undoubtedly ranks among the elite of Bordeaux production, and then to make Smith Haut-Lafitte an essential stop on any wine tourism itinerary. While the wines were at times a bit too ripe and oaky in their early days, their style has greatly refined over the past decade. The texture of the reds, the controlled extraction with more delicate tannins, result in wines that fit into a more contemporary, less ostentatious style. The whites have also followed this trend, with the influence of aging being much less pronounced in recent vintages. The success continues unabated: Smith Haut-Lafitte wines are enjoying international acclaim and experiencing strong price growth.

Wine Spectator