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Wine Description
The Story
This magnificent estate of 10.6 hectares, ideally located on the edge of the village of Saint-Emilion, derives its name from a clergyman, Canon Balestard. The “Tonnelle” that stands in the heart of the vineyard was formerly an observation tower during the 15th century and has since become the symbol of this property. François Villon mentions the wine of Balestard in his famous poem, written too in the 15th century, and as a testimonial of this...
Vintage 2011
The 2011 vintage is not easy to handle.
Smith Haut Lafitte not only makes great white and red wine from Bordeaux in Pessac Léognan, they are also at the cutting edge of technology. They were one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using optical sorting, which came in handy with the difficult 2011 Bordeaux harvest. Fabien Teitgen, long-time general manager, joined us for a long detailed conversation about what happened at Smith Hau...
