Florence Cathiard gradually standing down at Château Smith Haut-Lafitte

he Cathiard family Рowners of Ch̢teau Smith Haut-Lafitte and its 80 hectares of organically farmed Graves Grand Cru Class̩ vineyards since 1990, as well as the 26-hectare Cathiard Vineyard in Napa Valley acquired in 2020 Рis restructuring its governance. At 79, Florence Cathiard is stepping down as chair of the board, handing over the role to her daughters Mathilde Thomas (54) and Alice Tourbier (48). They will be joined on the board by Canadian Master of Wine Tracey Dobbin (50) who previously worked as a consultant for Ch̢teau Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 1855-classified Saint-Julien Grand Cru Class̩.

Florence Cathiard is keen to stress that the family’s wine estates operate independently from its other ventures. She draws a clear distinction between the vineyards and the Caudalie cosmetics group – pioneers in the use of red grape polyphenols – run by Mathilde Thomas and her husband, and the Les Sources hotel collection in Graves, Cheverny and soon Burgundy and Alsace, overseen by Alice Tourbier and her husband. All of the family businesses, she notes, are run by the three couples.  Florence Cathiard herself has been closely involved in her husband Daniel Cathiard’s entrepreneurial journey, from their days as international ski competitors to winegrowing and ownership of the Go Sport retail chain.

At present, the group’s financial stability is being supported by its hospitality business and the Californian estate, Cathiard explains. In Bordeaux, she says, the family is “riding out the storm” with a particular focus on reenergising sales of its more entry-level wines, which are under pressure. “This is why Tracey Dobbin’s arrival is a positive development. We are fortunate to have reserves – many do not, and we are fully aware of that. But for us, this is not simply a profession, it’s a passion”.