Claudia Dudman explores the exquisite beauty of Bordeaux ? the home of the French wine world
Before they married, Daniel and Florence Cathiard didn?t, like most engaged couples, ask for the normal kind of wedding presents with which to set up their marital home. No beautiful French bed linen or a contribution towards some fine china. Instead, they requested that their friends and family give them something that they both loved: really good wine from Bordeaux.
Fast forward 20 or so odd years, and having sold up their respected businesses, the pair bought the prestigious 219-acre vineyard, Château Smith Haute Lafitte in Bordeaux, south-west France. ?That was in 1990,? explains Florence, a glamorous former VP of advertising giant, McCann Europe, ?but we fell in love with it, and decided to continue its tradition of excellence.? The road to success
The Cathiards sold everything they had ? including their second home ? to pay for the vineyard and for the huge investment needed to modernise it. Over the next five years, they renovated the winery buildings and constructed a large underground cellar that could hold more than 1,000 barrels.
The Château?s rolling vineyards lie at the heart of the estate
Their first years were very hard: in 1991, there was the famous spring frost that produced a disastrous vintage; in 1992 there was too much rain, 1993 was another bad year, and by 1994 Daniel and Florence thought they were ruined. But the business turned around in 1995, winning aw...