No trip to France is complete without a winery visit, even when you’re a British monarch. King Charles III and Queen Camilla concluded a three-day state visit to France last week with a trip to Bordeaux and a visit to Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan, where they were greeted by owners Florence and Daniel Cathiard, alongside their llama. (Llamas have proven to be trustworthy vineyard guards and cover crop grazers).
The King and the Cathiards have a shared passion for sustainable farming practices, making the monarch’s decision to visit the eco-friendly winery an easy choice.
In fact, the King played a key role in the Cathiards' pioneering agricultural sustainability practices: Florence met Charles at a polo march more than 20 years ago, and the environment was then, as now, among his favorite topics. “He encouraged me when we were at a crossroads regarding the transition to 100 percent organic [winemaking] practices,” Cathiard told Wine Spectator. “He emphasized the purity and energy that this approach brings to our wines, which has been a guiding principle for us.”
The King and Queen began their visit at Smith-Haut-Lafitte by meeting the entire team, including tractor drivers, enologists and viticulturists, as well as Venus, the horse that works the vineyards, and Koda, the aforementioned llama. Then they took a tour of the estate, which is mid-harvest, observing team members sorting newly arrived Cabernet berries from the first harvest and manual punchdowns of must in the fermentation vats. “He showed a genuine interest in our vineyard practices, even engaging in discussions about vineyard management, old vines and our commitment to biodynamics,” Florence said.
His Majesty got in on the action at Smith-Haut-Lafitte’s on-site cooperage. He helped the cooper to “build a rose,” which is when the oak staves are placed inside the first set of metal hoops to help the barrel keep its shape prior to toasting.
There was tasting too. During the visit the King enjoyed the 2005 vintage—the year of his and the Queen’s wedding—and were gifted a box of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Rouge Cuvée Spéciale Charles III, a limited cuvée, to take home.
