France · Bordeaux

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Cru Classé de Graves in Pessac-Léognan, owned since 1990 by Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who transformed a neglected estate into one of Bordeaux's most quality-focused properties. The 78-hectare red vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (9%), and Petit Verdot produces a Rouge averaging $123 across 482 auction lots, while the white — from 11 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc — has emerged as one of the appellation's most prized whites, averaging $156 per bottle across 373 lots. The 2010 Rouge and 2009 Blanc are the estate's most sought-after vintages at auction. Smith Haut Lafitte's auction database spans 1,726 lots averaging $136, with a ceiling of $1,877 for benchmark verticals of the white. The red is vinified parcel by parcel with extended maceration and 18 months' ageing in French oak (70% new), while the white undergoes barrel fermentation with bâtonnage and 12 months on fine lees. The estate's biodynamic conversion, completed progressively from 2000 onward, is frequently cited as a driver of increased concentration and precision. Prices for the Rouge compare favourably with classified peers Haut-Bailly and Pape Clément, while the Blanc increasingly benchmarks against Domaine de Chevalier Blanc.