Châteaux that make their own barrels are exceedingly rare. Apart from the most famous (Lafite, Pétrus, Margaux, etc.), almost all Bordeaux estates buy their barrels ready-made. Smith Haut Lafitte began making their own barrels in 1995.

Barrels have a major role to play in the flavour of our wines. Special attention is paid to the origin of the oak, the degree of toasting, seasoning methods, and preparation of the stave wood.

For the past 12 years, Daniel Cathiard has personally selected the oak used to make the barrels in which Château Smith Haut Lafitte is aged.
The château cooperage produces approximately 400 barrels a year, which is about half of our needs. The rest comes from regular outside suppliers. We frequently compare the impact of barrels from various sources on flavour during blind tastings.

SELECTING OAK

We select 25 mm thick oak staves (split along the grain) directly at the source. Tests are carried out to diversify origins and increase the complexity that barrel-ageing adds to the wine.

The most recent vintages of Smith Haut Lafitte have been aged in rigorously-selected oak from the Tronçais and Nevers forests, chosen for their fine grain.

SEASONED OAK

Recent research carried out by the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology has confirmed the importance of seasoning oak before use.

Oak that has been seasoned by being left outside and exposed to the elements (during which the sap and undesirable tannins are leached, and the wood is naturally air-dried) is always superior to oak that has been through a steam chamber.

The oak we select is set aside and seasoned for 2 years during which time it is regularly sprayed with well water, guaranteeing perfect control over humidity and development of the stave wood.

PRODUCTION

After seasoning, the oak is once again sorted to eliminate any defects that may interfere with barrel assembly (cross-grains, etc.). The staves are then prepared (shaping with an adze, jointing) for assembly. This stage is particularly important from an economic point of view. It is vital to make the most of every cubic metre of stave wood.

The Smith Haut Lafitte's master cooper, Jean Luc Itey, produces barrels on-site. He is thoroughly familiar with the aromatic and aesthetic components of barrels.

ASSEMBLY

The barrels are assembled the traditional way, en rose (with the staves set out in a circle, like the petals of a flower). The first toasting enables the staves to be bent, which we do slowly over an open fire. A second toasting, or bousinage brings out the oak's toasty, roasted vanilla aromas. This process is very slow and penetrates deeply into the wood.

Frequent tastings enable us to fine tune barrelmaking to each type of wine, as well as choose the origin of the oak and the optimum degree of toasting (light, medium, or strong).

Our on-site cooperage means we can conduct any number of experiments and react very quickly to adjust the barrelmaking process.
We believe that having our own cooper amounts to exercising greater control over one of the most important aspects of making great wine. The cooper takes part in tastings as a matter of course, and his comments are invaluable.

After the ends are assembled, the barrels are finished off and given their definitive appearance. They are hand-planed and circled with two chestnut bands bound with osier as per the tradition for “château” barrels in Bordeaux.

Daniel Cathiard likes to compare this step to selling bread. A traditionally-made, warm, crusty loaf fresh out of the oven is a hundred times better than a frozen loaf sold two days after it was baked…

The same thing applies to wine. Putting fermenting wine that is still warm (while waiting for malolactic fermentation in oak) into a recently-made barrel with subtle, fleeting aromas of toast, fresh vanilla, and roast coffee, is guaranteed to produce something complex and special.
 

Château Smith Haut Lafitte
33650 BORDEAUX-MARTILLAC FRANCE
Tel : +33 (0)5 57 83 11 22 - Fax : +33 (0)5 57 83 11 21
smith-haut-lafitte@smith-haut-lafitte.com