It was an absolute pleasure to be the guest of Daniel and Florence Cathiard at their amazing winery Smith Haut Lafitte.  The Cathiard's purchased the 14 century winery in 1990 embarking on a life long investment. Smith Haut Lafitte is located in the Pessac-Leognan appellation of Bordeaux, France. 

As a lovely surprise, in honour of this visit, the Canadian Flag was raised on the estate for the day, with a tour of the vineyard, Daniel's showcase "James Bond" secret underground cellar, the winery operations, and a beautiful lunch served in their farmhouse style kitchen.  Naturally, a spectacular selection of Smith Haut Lafitte wines were presented to accompany the delicious roasted meal. Historically, the vintages score points quite high, using a blend of grapes varieties, with luscious red and dark berry flavours, firm tannins, medium acidity and will evolve further with age.