Chateau Smith Haute Lafite and Chateau de Cayx has decided to give their wines an authentic vintage touch by actually transporting their latest vintage wines to North America in a classic sailing ship. The 106 year-old British ketch Bessie Ellen will set sail from Bordeaux for Montreal on July 21, laden with 20,000 bottles of Smith Haut Lafitte.
The 106 year-old British ketch Bessie Ellen
The ship will also carry bottles from Chateau de Cayx (the Cahors domain owned by the Danish royal family) and Borie de Maurel (Languedoc). The green policy doesn’t come cheap however (costing 20% more than using a standard container ship) but the 25 day voyage adds a certain layer of intrigue to the wine. Furthermore, the shippers, Dublin-based, French-run CTMV, claim the long ocean voyage could improve the wine by hastening the ageing process.
What is more, by next year there are plans to set up the route permanently as well as a shorter journey from Bordeaux to Plymouth.
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
