Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
France
325
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte
Sour Grapes
Bordeaux, France
It must be confusing to be a grape, espe-
cially if you are growing on the gentle
vineyards of Château Smith Haut-Lafitte.
You spend the entire spring and summer
being nurtured and spoiled on the vine;
come harvest time you are carefully hand-
picked and laid in especially small trays to
prevent damage. You are then carried to
the truck in Sherpa-inspired hods, ergo-
nomically designed and detachable so you
can be gently rolled into the load. In the
winery, grapes are hand-selected and
cleaned of any foreign particles.
But then what happens after such five-
star treatment? They crush you. To add
insult to injury, you may even find yourself
smeared across a stranger's face, or float-
ing in a bath with a naked human, as part
of a recent phenomenon known as wine
therapy.
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte is as grand
as the name implies. It is a sprawling com-
plex of square turrets and cupolas, some
dating from the 16th century. Lichen-
stained statues of lions, cupids, and Bac-
chus dot an ivy-covered property that
exudes aristocratic charm. Fork-tongued
flags flap from medieval weather vanes,
and a grand stone staircase inside leads to
a large banquet hall overlooking the vine-
yards. Below in the cellar, a spectacular
vaulted room contains some 1,300 bar-
rels, backlit with spotlights and the com-
pany logo.
Apparently this was all a crumbling
mess before it was acquired by ski profes-
sionals and sport retailers Daniel and
Florence Cathiard. Not only have they
breathed new life into an historic building,
the wine itself has undergone a renais-
sance. The classic blends of Merlot, Caber-
net Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are
fresh and rich.
Nearby is the beautiful luxury hotel
Les
Sources de Caidale,
a grand mansion
with a garden lake and swans. The hotel's
wine-therapy spa lets you literally immerse
yourself in the stuff—apparently a grape
face-wrap has wonderful anti-aging quali-
ties, brimming with antioxidants (Madonna
is a big fan of the winery's beauty prod-
ucts). Its Michelin-starred restaurant
attracts foodies; a leather-clad cigar room
draws lovers of tobacco; and a 15,000-bot-
tle cellar gratifies the wine lover. The hotel
is a destination in itself—let's just hope
they pamper their guests even better than
their grapes.
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte,
Mar-
tillac (
&
33/5/5738-1122;
www.smith-
haut-lafitte.com).
(
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (27km/16
miles).
L
$$$
Hotel Bordeaux Continental,
10 rue Montesquieu, Bordeaux (
&
33/5/
5652-6600;
www.hotel-le-continental.
com)
.
$$
Hotel Majestic,
2 rue Condé,
Bordeaux (
&
33/5/5652-6044;
www.
hotel-majestic.com).
