At A Glance
- Fact
- Detail
- Appellation
- Pessac-Léognan, Martillac
- Classification
- Grand Cru Classé for red wines in the Graves classification
- Vineyard
- 87 hectares in a single consolidated block
- Farming
- Certified AB organic viticulture, own organic compost, and horse drawn carts
- Main grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Gris
- Flagship wines
- Flagship red and flagship white
The Producer
Château Smith Haut Lafitte farms a consolidated estate vineyard in Martillac, within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Its red wines hold Grand Cru Classé status in the Graves classification. The estate produces six wine lines, with red and white flagships at the centre of the range.
Certified AB organic viticulture includes the use of the estate's own organic compost. Horse drawn carts work the fragile slopes of the white wine vineyard, while the wider farming approach combines innovation and traditional techniques with biodynamic principles.
Place
Pessac-Léognan is the appellation name used in Martillac, and Grand Cru Classé identifies the château's red wine status within the Graves classification. The vineyard occupies a gravel plateau in one consolidated block.
Gravel drains water quickly and stores heat, physical properties that support ripening in Bordeaux. The vines reach more than 6 metres into the ground, allowing roots to draw water from deeper layers below the plateau.
Wines
The estate produces six wine lines. The 2025 flagship red blends 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, with ageing in 50% new French oak.
The 2025 flagship white blends 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris. It has 13.5% alcohol by volume and a pH of 3.25. The range therefore covers both Cabernet Sauvignon led red Bordeaux and Sauvignon Blanc led white Bordeaux within the same consolidated estate.
In The Glass
The flagship red is deeply coloured, with red, black, and blue fruits alongside smoke, cigar box, and tobacco. Sweet ripe fruit fills the palate, followed by a strong finish that continues long after the wine has left the glass.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose the flagship white. Whole berries are fermented using a pneumatic press, with no skin contact and no malolactic fermentation. The wine then ages on fine lees for 12 months with stirring. Fine lees can add texture, while avoiding malolactic fermentation preserves more of the wine's original acidity.
Final Word
Château Smith Haut Lafitte brings together a gravel plateau, certified organic farming, Grand Cru Classé red status, and two distinct cellar paths. The red ages in French oak, while the white is pressed without skin contact and aged on fine lees without malolactic fermentation.