Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2025

Château Smith Haut Lafitte sits in the commune of Martillac, in the Graves district of Pessac-Léognan, with more than 600 years of history under the Cathiard family. The vineyard occupies a deep bed of gravel over clay and limestone on the Haut Lafitte plateau. That gravel drains freely and stores daytime heat, releasing it overnight so the Cabernet Sauvignon ripens fully while keeping the cool aromatic lift typical of the appellation. The blend leads on Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, with Merlot for flesh, Cabernet Franc for perfume and a little Petit Verdot for colour and grip. Ageing runs to 18 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and folds cedar and cocoa into the fruit. The wine is deep ruby. The nose carries blackcurrant, red currant and mint over tobacco, oak spice and a graphite minerality drawn from the gravel soils. The palate is firm and layered, with dark cherry, fine grained tannin and a long savoury finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb, rib of beef and aged hard cheese.