The estate, taken over by the Cathiard family in 1985, owes its reputation as the "quintessential Graves" to both the smoky notes of its wines and its hilly terroir (Laffite or Lafite in Old French), consisting of alluvial and river stones deposited by the Garonne millions of years ago.
A 78-hectare vineyard cultivated on soils composed of Günz gravel, Smith Haut Lafitte's terroir boasts two striking features: superb natural drainage that forces the vine roots to descend deep to extract water and mineral salts more than six meters below the surface, and a "mirror effect" that reflects the sun's rays off the gravelly soil for optimal ripening.