Topic
History and Archives
Old bottles, old lists and old arguments: the record behind the reputations.
By month
- September 202652
- August 202686
- July 202698
- June 202696
- May 202699
- April 202684
- March 202658
- February 202652
- January 202662
- December 202533
Appellations
- Médoc38
- Saint-Émilion38
- Sauternes20
- Pomerol19
- Margaux18
- Pauillac13
- Pessac-Léognan12
- Entre-deux-Mers8
- Graves7
- Saint-Estèphe7
- Crémant de Bordeaux6
- Saint-Julien6
- Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux5
- Barsac4
- Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux4
- Bordeaux AOC4
- Haut-Médoc4
- Listrac-Médoc4
- Premières Côtes de Bordeaux4
- Bordeaux Supérieur3
- Lalande-de-Pomerol3
- Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux1
- Côtes de Bourg1
- Fronsac1
- Montagne-Saint-Émilion1
- Moulis1
- Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux1
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Perfect storm for Bordeaux’s wine legacy
A forest fire west of Bordeaux burned to within 15km of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte’s vineyards, according to The Star. The fire was described as one of the worst since World War II and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.
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Wildfires threaten France's historic Bordeaux wine region
Wildfires are threatening France's historic Bordeaux wine region, putting its vineyards at risk.
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Les Domaines de Moncets moves into Pessac-Léognan for the first time
Les Domaines de Moncets acquired Château Pontac Monplaisir in Pessac-Léognan, expanding to 5 properties totaling 56 hectares. The 16-hectare estate has historic links to the family that owned Haut-Brion.
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Meet the CEO Bringing New Flair to the Historic Château Angélus Bordeaux Estate
de Boüard-Rivoal is the first woman in 8 generations to lead Château Angelus in Saint-Émilion. As managing director, she leads a team of 170 people.
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Debate: What Bordeaux needs to do to maximise its potential
UK buyers, importers and wine merchants debated how Bordeaux producers can modernize their wines and expand the region’s presence in premium on-trade markets. William Stephens of Nectar/Asahi said consumers do not always perceive Bordeaux as a source of value wines.
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The creation of Opus One brought together major 20th-century wine figures from Napa and Bordeaux.
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Sensory experience in Goiânia revisits the historic Bordeaux Classification - Zelo
In Goiânia on July 9, sommelière Emília Almeida will lead a tasting experience featuring wines from Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac and revisiting the Bordeaux Classification created in Paris in 1855.
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Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin marks 10th anniversary with visitor milestone
Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026 after welcoming more than 3.5 million visitors since opening in 2016.
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How Bordeaux learnt to take American wine seriously
Bordeaux has learned to take American wine seriously.
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Bordeaux is adapting to a historic crisis by turning more attention to white wine.
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Castel Heirs Removed from Wine Unit Board as Family Dispute Escalates
Bloomberg reports that two heirs in the Castel family have been removed from the board of the historic wine business based near Bordeaux. The move deepens a family power struggle inside one of France’s biggest drinks empires.
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Sud Ouest looks at how Bordeaux wine is winning over new consumers after fears about the region's decline.
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“Vino Veritas”: La Cité du Vin celebrates its 10th anniversary
La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, having been inaugurated in 2016 by Alain Juppé and François Hollande. “Vino Veritas” dedicated its season finale to the venue.
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Legendary Wine Hidden by the Nazis Restored After 130 Years
Eight late-19th-century bottles of Château d’Yquem, believed to have been hidden during WWII, were restored by the estate after being found in a Czech castle. The bottles, dating from 1892 to 1896, will go on display after surviving war and communist-era upheaval.
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‘Impressively fresh’ 1892 Château d’Yquem found under chapel floor
A cache of 133 late-19th-century wines, including 8 bottles of Château d’Yquem from 1892 and 1896, was found beneath a chapel floor at Bečov Castle in the Czech Republic. Château d’Yquem restored the bottles, with only 5 full original bottles surviving, according to The Drinks Business.
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Sauternes 2025 reinforces a historic run of great vintages in Bordeaux
The 2025 Sauternes and Barsac vintage in Bordeaux is being described as one of the most consistent in recent years, with good yields and strong botrytis development for the fourth consecutive year, according to Revista ADEGA.
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Montpellier: a bottle of Château d’Yquem 1811 goes to auction starting at 60,000 euros
A bottle of Château d’Yquem 1811 will be auctioned on Sunday, May 31, near Montpellier, with a starting price of €60,000, according to actu.orange.fr.
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Column: The story behind Chateau Giscours
Château Giscours has a long and turbulent history marked by revolutions, scandals and ownership disputes, according to Richmond News.
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‘I forgot how delicious mature Bordeaux is’: 22 bottle-aged wines to drink now
Decanter recommends 22 bottle-aged Bordeaux wines to drink now, including wines from the 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019 vintages, amid the 2025 en primeur campaign.
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Rare bottle of Château d’Yquem 1811 goes under the hammer
A bottle of Château d’Yquem 1811 will be auctioned on May 31 near Montpellier, in southern France, by Farran Enchères. According to Vinetur, it is expected to fetch at least €60,000.
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Pair of ‘legendary’ 1870 Bordeaux magnums sell for record £226k
A pair of ‘legendary’ 1870 Bordeaux magnums sold for a record £226,000 after bidders fought over Château Lafite bottles that had spent a century in the cellar of Glamis Castle in Scotland.
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Lafite 1870 magnums smash estimates in 'immortal' Bordeaux auction
A Decanter report says magnums of 1870 Lafite far exceeded estimates in an "immortal" Bordeaux auction. Strong bidding for rare Bordeaux helped push total sales above $2 million, underscoring continued collector demand.
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‘Legendary’ Glamis Castle Château Lafite 1870 sets new record
Two magnums of Château Lafite Rothschild 1870 from Glamis Castle set record prices at a Sotheby's New York sale.
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Acacia trees and Bordeaux vineyards coexisted across the region from the 18th to the 20th centuries, in a history shaped by practical uses and landscape change.
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Rare wines Château Lafite 1870 from Scotland castle head to sale
Two magnums of Château Lafite 1870, stored for years in a Scottish castle cellar, are heading to sale.
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Castel fires up Baron de Lestac for the 40th anniversary of its first Bordeaux wine
Castel marks the 40th anniversary of Baron de Lestac, its first Bordeaux wine.
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Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Tastings: Starting Out Strong In St.-Estèphe
Wine Spectator’s early tastings of Bordeaux’s 2025 vintage began strongly in St.-Estèphe, where young wines from Cos d’Estournel, Cos Labory and Château Tronquoy show how Bordeaux is evolving.
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Legendary Glamis Castle 1870 Château Lafite wine to be auctioned
Sotheby’s New York says 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild magnums found at Glamis Castle in 1971 are part of a private collection valued at close to £40,000 and are set to be auctioned.
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Via Sensoria returns to Bordeaux's Cité du Vin with a new version
Wit FM says Via Sensoria returned to Cité du Vin in Bordeaux on April 1, 2026, for its 4th edition, a special 10th-anniversary version dedicated to the Bordeaux vineyard and its 4 wine styles.
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How merlot became the dominant grape in Bordeaux red wines
Merlot is the primary grape in most Bordeaux red blends, typically accounting for at least two-thirds of the volume, while its vines outnumber cabernet sauvignon vines 3 to 1 because it suits the region’s cool, moist climate.
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Mios: a conference sheds light on the origins of the Bordeaux vineyard
Mios Culture Loisirs will host historian Didier Coquillas-Sistach on Saturday, March 28, for a conference on the origins of the Bordeaux vineyard, drawing on archaeological research and Roman legends. The event will take place at 8:30 p.m. in the municipal council hall, with admission of 5 euros.
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Bordeaux 2.0: Version Being Rolled Out
The CIVB sets out how Bordeaux wines have changed since 2019, in response to falling consumption, a weak market and declining interest in tannic reds. It was published just before the en primeur campaign.
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Archive dive in five: Decanter February 1991
Decanter revisits its February 1991 issue, including commentary on Australian Cabernet and reflections on 1985 Bordeaux clarets. It’s an archival retrospective rather than new reporting.
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Collection of ‘rediscovered’ historic Bordeaux to be auctioned
A 46-lot collection of Bordeaux wines from 1929 to 1964, found in a concealed cellar in an outbuilding of a Hampshire home, will be auctioned by Dreweatts on February 24 and is thought to be worth £20,000 to £40,000.
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Victorian wines take centre stage at the world’s largest wine museum
7 Victorian wineries will showcase their wines at the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, whose annual visitors exceed 400,000. The selection represents Victoria's Hume, Barwon, Grampians and Yarra Valley regions.
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How Bordeaux 2016 surprised winemakers to compete with all-time greats
Decanter looks back at Bordeaux 2016 nearly 10 years on: why the vintage surprised winemakers and how it compares with the historic greats. The first growths were shown at a 10 Years On tasting, and Château Latour 2016 was first released in 2025.
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Victorian wines uncork recognition: Pearson
Victoria’s government says 7 Victorian wineries will be showcased at Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin museum, which attracts over 400,000 visitors annually.
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The Southwold tastings, a history
The Southwold tastings, influential UK blind tastings of mature Bordeaux, have included landmark 1947 first growths and evolved over time.
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Carpe Wine: The 1855 Classification
An explainer column demystifying wine laws and classifications, focusing on Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification and its historical role in ranking top Médoc and Sauternes estates.
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Archive dive in five: Decanter’s January 1976 issue
Decanter launches an archive nostalgia series looking back at its January 1976 issue. It includes Clive Coates MW’s take on Bordeaux 1970 as a top post-war vintage plus period auction prices for leading 1970 clarets.
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Decanter reveals Montrose Blanc, a small-production white wine from Château Montrose in St-Estèphe that revives the estate’s historical tradition of making white wine.
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"1855": French history through menus and Bordeaux wines
The art book “1855” is limited to 400 copies priced at €850 and uses hundreds of historic menus to tell French history while featuring the 88 châteaux in the 1855 classification.
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How Bordeaux’s youth are shaping tomorrow’s wine industry
Young people in Bordeaux are shaping the future of the wine industry, from training and careers to new approaches and priorities.
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The Brilliant Career of Clos Fourtet
On July 16, 2025, Clos Fourtet in Saint-Émilion was described as having 13 hectares of historic underground galleries, where bottles of the Premier Grand Cru Classé B mature.
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The brilliant career of Clos Fourtet
On July 16, 2025, Clos Fourtet’s vines near the medieval village of Saint-Émilion were described as resting above 13 hectares of historic underground galleries, where bottles of the Premier Grand Cru Classé B mature.
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Wine Advent #10: Give the Cité du Vin for Christmas
Terre de Vins suggests giving the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux as a Christmas gift, including gift cards valued at €30, €50, €75 or €100. The venue surpassed 3 million visitors in early 2025, with foreign visitors representing 53% of its audience in 2024.
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Wine Advent #4: The Big Guns of the Médoc in a Gift Box
Château Pichon Baron and Cos d'Estournel are offering gift boxes: Pichon Baron’s 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 half-bottle vertical costs €599 at its Pauillac shop, while Cos offers a 3-bottle 2015 set marking the vintage’s 10th anniversary.
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