News

The most expensive Bordeaux wines of 2026

Wine-Searcher identifies the Bordeaux wines with the highest asking prices in 2026.

The top end offers a useful reading of scarcity, brand strength and collector preference, although advertised prices do not necessarily indicate transaction volume. The composition of the list can also show where mature vintages or rare formats carry the largest premiums.

Source: Wine-Searcher The Fine Wine MarketThe Vintage

Why Bordeaux’s second wines are called second

The 10th Foire aux Seconds Vins will take place on October 10, featuring wines assembled from lots excluded from a château’s grand vin.

Second wines make selection visible and often provide earlier-drinking access to classified estates. Their growing prominence also raises questions about pricing, vineyard sources and how clearly each label expresses the parent château.

Source: Terre de Vins Rules and Classifications

Premières Côtes de Bordeaux seeks a 3-colour future

Premières Côtes de Bordeaux has applied to INAO to expand beyond sweet white wine and authorize a broader range of styles under its name.

Approval could give growers greater commercial flexibility while reconnecting the appellation name with the full potential of its terroir. The decision will test how far Bordeaux’s regulatory structure can adapt to changing demand.

Source: Sud Ouest Premières Côtes de Bordeaux Vineyard and CellarRules and Classifications

Michelin’s Bordeaux château ranking reaches new audiences

A Portuguese-language report introduces Michelin’s new grape-based selection of Bordeaux estates, framing it as an extension of the group’s hospitality ratings.

International coverage shows that the ranking is already influencing how Bordeaux estates are presented beyond traditional wine media. Its lasting importance will depend on whether consumers use it for visits, purchases or both.

Source: EuQueroInvestir Critics and ScoresHistory and Archives

Record earliness defines Bordeaux’s 2026 harvest

Consultants Romain Bocchio and Frédéric Massie assess a historically early 2026 harvest in Gironde after an exceptionally dry summer.

Picking dates will determine whether the 2026s retain freshness and aromatic definition or reflect the season primarily through concentration and warmth. Differences between water-retentive clay and faster-draining gravel could be especially revealing.

Source: Sud Ouest The Vintage

Bordeaux records its hottest growing season in 133 years

According to Revista ADEGA, Bordeaux’s 2026 growing season was its hottest in 133 years. Temperatures exceeded 35°C on 1 in 3 days between May and July, while rainfall totaled 54 mm against a 141 mm average.

Heat alone does not determine quality, but its interaction with drought, vine age, soils and harvest timing will shape both alcohol levels and acid balance. The claim also raises the stakes for how the trade eventually describes 2026.

Source: Revista ADEGA The VintageVineyard and Cellar

A 27-vintage vertical charts Giscours’ recovery

According to Jancis Robinson, Château Giscours rebuilt its quality after a difficult period, based on an assessment of 27 vintages.

Long verticals reveal whether an estate’s improvement is durable rather than vintage-dependent. For collectors, the exercise can also identify overlooked mature vintages from before market recognition fully caught up.

Source: JancisRobinson.com Château Giscours The VintageThe Fine Wine Market

The New Fourcas Dupré Arrives

Château Fourcas Dupré completed a 3-year transformation in June, following Gérard Jicquel’s 2019 acquisition of the Listrac-Médoc estate.

Substantial investment in Listrac is significant when many Bordeaux properties face pressure on margins and demand. The project also tests how far capital, positioning and renewed facilities can elevate an appellation that remains relatively accessible.

Source: Terre de Vins Château Fourcas Dupré Listrac-MédocMédoc The Fine Wine MarketEstates and People

Michelin’s Bordeaux Ratings Draw Criticism

Michelin’s first Bordeaux grape selection, unveiled at the Cité du Vin, gives 3 grapes to 9 estates, 2 to 16 and 1 to 37, and lists 21 more without a grape. Wine experts have criticized its methods and its judgment of whole estates rather than vintages.

Any new hierarchy must contend with Bordeaux’s existing classifications, critical consensus and market pricing. The reaction will help determine whether Michelin’s grapes become a useful consumer signal or remain chiefly a tourism and publicity device.

Source: 2oceansvibe Visiting BordeauxThe Vintage

Bordeaux 2025 report highlights potential bargains

Blick tasted more than 300 wines on site from the 2025 vintage and identified bargains across Bordeaux’s regions. The publication called the vintage one of the most interesting in decades.

A value-led narrative could help 2025 gain traction with drinkers who have resisted recent Bordeaux release pricing.

Source: Blick The Vintage

UK buyers deliver their verdict on new Bordeaux clarets

UK Bordeaux Claret importers debated the new Claret classification with the Bordeaux et Bordeaux Supérieur Wine Union at an event hosted by The Buyer. The discussion addressed how to introduce the classification to the UK market while protecting existing Bordeaux Claret business.

Buyer reactions reveal whether Bordeaux’s current mix of style, positioning and price is connecting with a crucial export market.

Source: The Buyer Bordeaux Supérieur Trade and TariffsRules and Classifications

How Bordeaux is adapting to climate change

Climate change is altering Bordeaux and its wine, according to DW.

Adaptation choices in the vineyard will increasingly determine alcohol levels, freshness, harvest timing and the viability of individual sites.

Source: DW Vineyard and CellarThe Vintage

Bordeaux négociants look beyond the region

The annual Beyond Bordeaux event showcases wines from outside the region that are being presented through Bordeaux’s merchant network.

Portfolio diversification gives négociants additional revenue streams and shows how La Place expertise is being applied beyond traditional Bordeaux releases.

Source: JancisRobinson.com En Primeur and La PlaceThe Fine Wine Market

Bordeaux: One Region, Many Voices

A new generation of Bordeaux winemakers is producing fresher, lower-alcohol red wines with greater stylistic variety. Since 2023, Entre-deux-Mers has been authorized to produce reds, with around 40 growers making roughly 1 million bottles at a target price of £10-15 a bottle.

Bordeaux’s current story is increasingly fragmented. Harvest conditions, commercial pressure and consumer demand affect classified estates, family properties and peripheral appellations in markedly different ways.

Source: Decanter Entre-deux-Mers The VintageRules and Classifications

The Commanderie de Bordeaux in Focus

The Commanderie de Bordeaux promotes Bordeaux wines and culture.

Bordeaux’s international confréries remain useful channels for education, networking and market development, particularly beyond the region’s traditional European base.

Source: Folha PE Estates and People

Bordeaux’s Second Wines Fair Marks 10 Years

Terre de Vins and Cash Vin will bring the tenth Foire aux seconds vins to Hangar 14 on October 11, combining estate tastings with direct purchases.

Second wines offer consumers a practical route into established château portfolios. The event’s longevity also suggests sustained demand for recognizable Bordeaux names at more accessible prices.

Source: Terre de Vins Critics and ScoresVisiting Bordeaux

Michelin names 9 top-tier Bordeaux estates

Nine Bordeaux châteaux received Michelin’s highest three-grape distinction in the guide’s first regional selection following Burgundy.

The system introduces a new, consumer-facing judgment of estate quality across the Médoc, Saint-Émilion and the wider region. Its influence will depend on whether collectors and visitors treat the grapes as a serious complement to Bordeaux’s established classifications.

Source: Decanter MédocSaint-Émilion The Fine Wine MarketRules and Classifications

Ducru-Beaucaillou sets its fifth Harvest Festival

The Saint-Julien estate will welcome the public on October 18 for masterclasses, carriage rides to the Gironde and a traditional harvest banquet.

The festival gives consumers unusually broad access to a classified-growth estate at the close of the growing season. It also shows how leading châteaux are using hospitality to build relationships beyond allocations and formal tastings.

Source: Terre de Vins Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien The VintageEn Primeur and La Place

The Cité du Vin opens its autumn cultural season

The programme runs through December with tastings, talks, music, sensory events and encounters focused on wine culture.

The new season follows a summer affected by major fires and arrives during the Cité du Vin’s tenth-anniversary year. Attendance will offer an early indication of how strongly Bordeaux’s cultural tourism can recover outside the summer peak.

Source: Terre de Vins Visiting BordeauxHistory and Archives

Bordeaux Tasting returns in December

Bordeaux Tasting will return on 12 and December 13, 2026 for an anniversary edition, with ticket sales now open.

Large consumer tastings remain an important point of contact between estates and drinkers, particularly as Bordeaux works to broaden engagement beyond traditional trade channels.

Source: Terre de Vins Visiting BordeauxHistory and Archives

A guide to Bordeaux vintages ending in 6

Decanter surveys Bordeaux vintages whose years end in 6, comparing their character, quality and historical significance.

For collectors, the exercise is a useful warning against treating decades as coherent stylistic families. Growing conditions, appellation performance and bottle provenance matter far more than the final digit.

Source: Decanter The VintageThe Fine Wine Market

Sainsbury’s launches a £5.45 Bordeaux

Sainsbury’s launched CH Pierre Bordeaux at £5.45 on September 11, 2026. Made from grapes from Entre-Deux-Mers, the wine blends 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.

At this price, the story is less about fine wine than Bordeaux’s competitiveness in mass retail. It tests whether regional identity can still carry weight in a highly price-sensitive category.

Source: Retail Times Entre-deux-Mers The Fine Wine MarketVineyard and Cellar

Cheval Blanc calls 2026 a vintage of records

Director Pierre Olivier Clouet says the 2026 vintage looks highly promising despite exceptional heat. The Saint Émilion estate is navigating an intense harvest with experienced local picking teams.

Cheval Blanc offers an important early reading of conditions on the Right Bank, particularly for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It remains one estate's assessment, but its harvest decisions and eventual balance will influence the wider 2026 narrative.

Source: Terre de Vins Château Cheval Blanc Saint-Émilion The VintageVineyard and Cellar

Bordeaux and California face off in Manila

A Manila tasting is marking 50 years since the Judgment of Paris by placing Bordeaux and California wines in direct comparison.

Comparative tastings remain a powerful way to test Bordeaux's reputation with international collectors. They also show how California has moved from challenger to established peer in many global markets.

Source: Bilyonaryo The Fine Wine MarketCritics and Scores

The Médoc Marathon brings wine country to the course

Costumed runners in the Médoc Marathon stop for local wine, oysters and regional food as they run through Bordeaux’s wine country.

The marathon gives Médoc estates direct visibility beyond traditional tastings and château visits. That kind of cultural reach matters as Bordeaux seeks deeper relationships with consumers rather than relying solely on established trade channels.

Source: The New York Times Médoc Critics and ScoresVisiting Bordeaux

Pessac-Léognan Questions Its Assumptions

Estates across Pessac-Léognan are reconsidering drainage, planting density, harvest decisions and aging practices. The objective is adaptation without losing the appellation's recognisable Bordeaux identity.

These choices affect water availability, fruit maturity, alcohol levels and the balance between extraction and freshness. Pessac-Léognan offers an important test of how established Bordeaux appellations can adapt without defaulting to a completely new stylistic model.

Source: Terre de Vins Pessac-Léognan The VintageVineyard and Cellar

Bordeaux Wine Tourism Extends the Season

Bordeaux estates and appellations are expanding their wine tourism offerings to extend the visitor season beyond summer, following a climatically difficult summer for the region.

Direct visits increasingly support estate visibility, cellar-door sales and consumer loyalty, particularly for properties without extensive international distribution. Extending the season can also make tourism a steadier commercial channel rather than a short summer supplement.

Source: Terre de Vins Vineyard and CellarVisiting Bordeaux

Falstaff Profiles 2025 B de Bastor-Lamontagne

Falstaff profiled the 2025 B de Bastor-Lamontagne Bordeaux.

Individual reviews help merchants and drinkers track wines that sit outside Bordeaux's most heavily covered labels. They also provide an early indication of how the broader 2025 offer is being presented to international readers.

Source: Falstaff Château Bastor-Lamontagne Critics and Scores

2025 Château Bonnet Blanc enters focus

Falstaff profiled Château Bonnet Blanc 2025, a new release from Entre-deux-Mers.

Entre-deux-Mers remains one of Bordeaux's most useful sources of accessible dry white wine. Early reviews will help establish how the 2025 vintage balances ripeness, freshness and immediate drinkability.

Source: Falstaff Château Bonnet Entre-deux-Mers The Vintage

2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne reviewed

Falstaff reviewed 2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne, a wine associated with Château Bastor-Lamontagne in the Sauternes area.

The profile adds another data point for a difficult and closely scrutinized 2024 vintage. It also keeps attention on the wider range of wines emerging from the Sauternes sector, beyond the region's headline classified sweet wines.

Source: Falstaff Château Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes The VintageRules and Classifications

Michelin's Bordeaux selection expands to 83 estates

Michelin unveiled its first Bordeaux wine selection at the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, distinguishing 83 estates: 9 with 3 grapes, 16 with 2 grapes and 37 with 1 grape, plus 21 recommended estates.

A new external hierarchy can redirect attention toward estates outside Bordeaux's established classifications. The next test is whether recognition produces measurable gains in restaurant listings, visitor demand and international distribution.

Source: Idéal Investisseur Visiting BordeauxRules and Classifications

France’s wine harvest devastated by heatwaves as Champagne production halves

France is projected to produce 33.9 million hectolitres of wine in 2026, 6% below 2025 and 17% below its 2021 to 2025 average, after its hottest summer yet. Champagne output is expected to fall 49%, while Bordeaux is forecast to rebound 10% from 2025.

Source: independent.co.uk The VintageThe Crisis

Michelin’s Bordeaux List Draws a Different Bordeaux Hierarchy

Vino Joy reads the Michelin selection of Bordeaux estates against the classifications and finds a different order underneath it: Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion are not at the top of the selection, Latour is not on it at all, and the counts published for it do not agree with each other.

Source: vino-joy.com Château Haut-BrionChâteau LatourChâteau MargauxChâteau Mouton Rothschild Margaux Rules and Classifications

10 Winemakers Crafting Bordeaux's Finest Wines

10 winemakers are crafting Bordeaux’s finest wines.

Source: MICHELIN Guide Critics and Scores

Second Bordeaux Cellars fraudster sentenced

Stephen Burton was sentenced to 6 years in prison on September 3, 2026, for his role in the Bordeaux Cellars wine investment scam, which involved more than 140 victims and almost US$100 million in losses.

Source: thedrinksbusiness.com The Fine Wine MarketRules and Classifications

Bordeaux opens the 2026 harvest with Merlot already being picked

Bordeaux opened its 2026 harvest with Merlot already being picked on September 4, 2026, while Cabernet Sauvignon was maturing more slowly after rain altered berry weight, juice volume and malic acid in some parcels, according to ISVV.

Source: vinetur.com The VintageVineyard and Cellar

Bordeaux wine: How does hand harvesting work at a Saint-Émilion classified growth?

How hand harvesting is carried out at a classified growth in Saint-Émilion, seen from inside the vineyard during the harvest.

Source: sudouest.fr Saint-Émilion The VintageRules and Classifications

Does dealcoholisation erase terroir?

Grands Chais de France began researching alcohol-free wine in the 2000s, released its first cuvées in 2015 and has operated dealcoholisation units in Bordeaux since 2021. The group says alcohol-free wine could eventually represent 10% of sales.

Source: terredevins.com Vineyard and Cellar

Looking back at the first Odyssey of the Two Banks

Vignobles de l’Estuaire held its first Odyssée des deux rives tasting on Île de Patiras for local wine influencers and trade prescribers. Around forty growers presented red and white wines from Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg, Médoc and Haut-Médoc.

Source: terredevins.com Blaye Côtes de BordeauxCôtes de BourgHaut-MédocMédoc Critics and ScoresThe New Bordeaux

Peter Dean on 32 new wines that offer a fresh look at Bordeaux

Peter Dean selected 32 modern Bordeaux wines spanning different colors, styles and appellations, with value and drinkability as priorities.

Source: The Buyer Wines to BuyCritics and Scores