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2 min read

Exclusive Conversations from the Vineyards: Reflections with Florence and Daniel Cathiard at Château Smith Haut Lafitte

33 minutes. Filmed at Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
NOTE: We recorded this heartfelt interview shortly before Daniel Cathiard’s passing; it stands as a beautiful tribute to his passion and legacy alongside Florence.

Few people ever hear the real stories behind great wines.

But in this private interview, Florence and Daniel Cathiard open up in a way few have seen before.

Press play and you’re instantly transported to the Cathiards’ private tasting table at Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan — a Bordeaux Powerhouse shaped by adventure, risk, and reinvention.

What follows isn’t a quick overview, but a relaxed conversation filled with laughter, great bottles, and the perspective that only comes after 35 harvests.

During this private conversation, Florence and Daniel Cathiard share stories, philosophies, and winemaking insights few people outside the estate ever hear.

Inside This Rare Conversation You'll Discover...

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How two athletes on the French national ski team suddenly found themselves buying a Bordeaux château they barely understood — thanks in part to a surprising piece of advice from Olympic legend Jean-Claude Killy.
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The personal stories that shaped the Cathiards’ philosophy of wine — from the bottles served at their own wedding to the banker they affectionately call “Vieilles Vignes.”
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How ancient Gunzian gravel beneath the vineyard quietly gives the estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon its signature structure and extraordinary aging potential.
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Why Florence and Daniel Cathiard brought horses back into the vineyard and embraced biodynamic farming — and how it quietly changed the wine.
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The moment the conversation turns to the legendary 1998 vintage — the bottle that first placed Smith Haut Lafitte among the world’s most celebrated wines.
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What Christer notices while tasting the 1998 wine with the people who made it — and what decades of aging reveal about balance, elegance, and time.

This film is part of the Tales of the Wine World library...

Members can watch the full film below. Log in — or sign up to unlock the growing library of rare conversations with some of the most fascinating people in wine. Because the more you hear directly from the people behind great wines, the more every bottle you open begins to tell its story.

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