Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is located in Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank.  During the 1959 Classification of the Graves it was rated as Grand Cru Classé for its red wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon usually accounts for 60-65 percent of the red grand vin. Merlot contributes around 30 percent, and small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot round out a typical blend. The wine is aged in barrel for around 18 months, with 60-65 percent new wood.

The 78 hectares (193 acres) of organic vineyard (and the château) sit on a low hill of stones and pebbles deposited by the Garonne River. This gravelly soil offers not only superb drainage, but also reflects sunshine to amplify its benefits to the vines and fruit.

A horse is used to plow the more fragile soils of the white wine vineyard. Biodiversity efforts include the siting of beehives around the estate. Smith Haut Lafitte has its own vine nursery, situated on Ile de Lalande in the middle of the Garonne.  All grapes are harvested by hand by a team of more than 100 pickers.

Grapes have been grown on the site since 1365. Smith Haut Lafitte takes its name from the gravel plateau first cultivated in 1365 (and known as Lafitte) and 18th Century owner George Smith, a Scottish wine merchant.  The château is unrelated to first growth Château Lafite Rothschild, despite the similarities in the name.