Biodynamic Mastery at Château Smith Haut Lafitte

We dive into Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan, one of Bordeaux’s elite estates known for powerful yet elegant, long-lived wines.

Note: We recorded with Florence and Daniel Cathiard shortly before Daniel’s passing—this film is a quiet tribute to their shared passion and legacy.

Florence and Daniel Cathiard share how they bought the property in 1990 and transformed it: biodynamic practices (horses, plant teas, natural compost) and a focus on terroir that reflects “liquid history and geography.”

The emotional high point is tasting their breakthrough 1998 vintage—top 10 in the world that year per Wine Spectator.

Christer tastes it with them and marvels at its symmetry, finesse, smoke, mineral and blackcurrant notes—still stunning after nearly 30 years.

Fabien Teitgen, the estate’s technical director and winemaker, adds sharp insight: why Pessac-Léognan’s northern soils give superior balance, climate adaptation, and low-intervention winemaking that lets terroir shine.

One film, several voices—the dream and the craft—giving you a rare, intimate look at what makes Smith Haut Lafitte world-class.

Enjoy.

Want To Go Deeper?

Inside The Tales Archive, you can explore a growing library of longer, unfiltered, and far more detailed conversations with chateau owners and winemakers captured in vineyards, cellars, and at the tables where decisions are made.

Films about the craft, terroir, château history, and the personal journeys of the people behind the great wines.

No scripts. No polishing. Just real conversations, as they happened.

It’s not for everyone. They get a little wine nerdy.

But if you care about what’s in the glass — and where it truly comes from — and want to go deeper — this is where it gets interesting.