Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Seminars and company events

Château Smith Haut Lafitte hosts meetings, business meals, receptions and weddings for groups of 8 to 299 guests, across three venues on the estate. The château is a cru classé of Graves in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, at Martillac, south of Bordeaux. Weekday events benefit from a preferential rate, and a visit of the estate is offered with each venue.

For a board or a small leadership team, the George Smith tower, a Renaissance tower at the top of the stone staircase, suits meetings, discussions and meals for 10 to 60 people. La Table Privée adds a private lunch or dinner for 8 to 60 guests, cooked by the estate's private chefs to a seasonal menu built around the Graves wines. The meal follows a visit of the cellars, and four estate wines per person are served with it.

Weddings and receptions

The whole estate can be reserved for an evening reception of up to 299 guests, with lawns set with large sculptures, the courtyard and the stone buildings among the vines. The Pavillon du Thil, a short distance from the château, stands in an 8-hectare classified park designed by the landscape architect of the Jardin Public in Bordeaux, beside a 19th-century chartreuse.

Rooms and capacities

The George Smith tower takes 10 to 60 people. The Halle Cantelys, with 12th-century beams, a period fireplace and a stone staircase, opens onto a terrace over the vineyard and takes 60 to 250. The Pavillon du Thil, 800 metres from the château, takes 150 to 160 guests. Each venue can be visited before booking.

Accommodation

The Chartreuse of Château Le Thil, next to the pavilion, has nine bedrooms and two suites and can be privatised on request. Les Sources de Caudalie, a five-star hotel beside the vineyard, adds the Caudalie vinotherapy spa, the two-star restaurant La Grand'Vigne and the inn La Table du Lavoir, for groups that need more rooms. Guests at Le Thil have access to the spa, the restaurants and the wine activities.

Catering

Private meals are prepared by the estate's private chefs, subject to their availability, with menus that follow the seasons and the wines of the estate. Ask the events team how receptions in the Halle Cantelys and the Pavillon du Thil are catered.

History and setting

The estate covers 78 hectares in a single block of vines and forest, with towers and chapels dating from the 14th century and gardens set with works of art. The Cathiard family runs the property. The vineyard has been certified organic since 2019, the year biodynamic practices were extended to the whole estate, and the château keeps its own vine nursery on the Île de Lalande, in the Garonne.

Getting there

The address is 33650 Martillac. Bordeaux city centre and Bordeaux-Mérignac airport are both reached by road in about half an hour, and Bordeaux Saint-Jean is the nearest TGV station.