DOLIN Competitors

Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite is a close family of wine estates, each diverse in terroir and distinct in character, but all sharing in the same spirit. Firmly rooted in the very soil it cultivates, and dedicated to the art of exemplary winemaking since their first day at Château Lafite Rothschild in 1868, the DBR Lafite family has grown to include Château Duhart-Milon (Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac), Château Rieussec (Premier Grand Cru Classé in Sauternes), Château L’Évangile (Pomerol), Château Paradis Casseuil, as well as range of Bordeaux wines – Les Légendes R. Beyond the Bordeaux region, the family extends to Viña Los Vascos (Chile, 1988), Domaine d’Aussières (Languedoc, 1999), Bodegas CARO (Argentina, 1999), Domaine de Long Dai, in the Shandong region of China (2008) and Domaine William Fèvre (Chablis, 2024). With a sensitivity to each terroir’s unique demands, DBR Lafite champions a shared commitment to working hand in hand with the land that gives rise to each of its wines and has been certified B Corp in 2024.

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Grands Crus Classés for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Martillac. The estate originates in the 14th century with the house of Verrier Du Boscq who planted vines on a gravelly plateau named Lafitte already in 1365. In 1720 it was bought by the Scotsman Georges Smith who added his name to the lieu-dit (English: place-name), and who built the manor house of the property. The Louis Eschenauer company bought estate in 1958, after having already distributed the wine from the early 20th century. In 1990, Daniel Cathiard fell in love with the property and joined the list of prestigious owners, firmly intending to further enhance Smith Haut Lafitte's tradition of excellence. He combined the most modern winemaking techniques and age-old methods: organic compost, small wooden vats, ageing on the lees in barrel, etc. The vineyard area consists of 67 hectares (170 acres), 56 hectares of which are planted with grape varieties of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The remaining 11 hectares are cultivated with white varieties of 90% Sauvignon blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon gris. Our philosophy can be summarised in one sentence : to do our utmost so that everey vintage of our red and white wines reflects the full potential of our magnificent terroir. Our efforts range from increasingly organic vineyard management and slow natural fermentation of the grapes to ageing the wine in superb underground cellars and serving it to wine lovers in appropriate tasting room.

Le Domaine de Chevalier est une clairière au milieu de la forêt qui le protège, une sorte de jardin à l’écart des circuits médiatiques. C’est un peu le paradoxe de ce cru d’excellence qui appartient à l’élite des plus grands crus de Bordeaux. Domaine de Chevalier is located in a clearing in the middle of a forest that protects the vines. In fact, Chevalier is a sort of secret garden, far from the limelight. This is something of a paradox for such an excellent wine, among the greatest in Bordeaux. « Seul un grand terroir peut produire un grand vin… Lorsque je présente le Domaine de Chevalier, j’aime bien commencer par ces mots. Ils expriment notre philosophie profonde, celle qui est inscrite dans l’approche du vignoble mais aussi dans l’esprit des hommes et des femmes qui travaillent ici, affinant année après année leurs compétences au service de ce qui est à mes yeux l’essentiel, c’est-à-dire l’équilibre. » - Olivier Bernard "Only a great terroir can produce a great wine… I often start out with these words when speaking about Domaine de Chevalier. They convey our fundamental philosophy, not only with regard to viticulture, but also the spirit that pervades the estate, and the men and women who work here. They improve their already considerable skills year after year on behalf of that which is most essential to a fine wine in my opinion – balance". Olivier Bernard