Edition of October 16, 2026

Bordeaux crop forecast to rise 10% from 2025

Agreste estimated Bordeaux’s 2026 harvest at 3.496 million hectoliters as of October 1, up 10% from 2025 but 11% below the 2021-2025 average.

The forecast adds necessary context to reports of heat-related losses. Lower yields in some vineyards can coexist with regional growth from a weak prior-year base.

Source: Vinetur The Vintage

Marie-France Manoncourt marks 70 years at Figeac

Marie-France Manoncourt marks 70 years at Château-Figeac in 2026 after joining the Saint-Émilion estate in 1956.

Her tenure represents an exceptional span of direct institutional memory at Figeac, whose family ownership dates to 1892.

Source: Terre de Vins Château Figeac Saint-Émilion Estates and PeopleHistory and Archives

Early 2026 harvest follows heat and reduced yields

Bordeaux began an exceptionally early 2026 harvest by October 13, after a hot, dry summer reduced yields, while early quality signs remained encouraging.

The report reinforces this week’s emerging vintage narrative: unusually early picking and a crop shaped by summer heat.

Source: Vinetur The VintageVineyard and Cellar

Paris tasting to assemble 100 Rothschild vintages

A Paris tasting in November will bring together 100 vintages of the same Rothschild wine after the bottles undergo authenticity analysis.

The combination of historic depth and authentication makes this a notable event for collectors and the fine-wine trade.

Source: Revista ADEGA The VintageHistory and Archives

Bordeaux 2016 meets South Africa 2017

A blind tasting pitted Bordeaux 2016 against South Africa 2017 in 15 wines, with Lynch-Bages 2016 and Canon 2016 earning the top scores of 97 and 96.

For Bordeaux drinkers, it offers a direct cross-region test of how the 2016 vintage performs beside a different origin and growing year.

Source: Winemag.co.za Château Lynch-Bages The VintageCritics and Scores

Departing growers struggle to clear their final stocks

Retiring Bordeaux grower Lionel Lorente sent 850 hectoliters of 2023 Côtes de Bourg to a distillery on September 22 after finding no buyer, despite offering a tonneau for €500.

The unsold stocks deepen the burden of leaving the sector and illustrate the severity of demand pressure at the production end of the market.

Source: Vitisphere Côtes de Bourg The Fine Wine MarketThe Crisis