Lis cet article en français : Grappes MICHELIN à Bordeaux.
Invitation. This article is published following an invitation from the MICHELIN Guide.
On Monday 7 September 2026, the Cité du Vin hosted the official announcement of the very first Bordeaux selection of the MICHELIN Grapes. After Burgundy in the spring, the MICHELIN Guide has chosen the Bordeaux vineyards to write the second chapter of its distinction dedicated to wine estates. Part of the Bordeaux Confidentiel team was there, in the level 2 auditorium, to witness the reveal live. We take you through it, and above all we explain the mechanics of this new rating.
MICHELIN Grapes, not wine stars: the nuance
First thing to set straight, because the confusion has been coming up a lot over the past few months. The MICHELIN Grapes are not stars. They are a distinction specific to wine estates, launched by the MICHELIN Guide to complete its reading of a destination. After the restaurant where you eat and the hotel where you sleep, the Guide now looks at where you discover wine, drawing on a team of inspectors dedicated to wine, salaried by the group, with recommendations produced collectively.
Three levels make up the selection. 1 Grape identifies producers of great quality, who craft wines with character and style, particularly successful in the best vintages. 2 Grapes distinguish producers of excellence, with remarkable quality and consistency within their terroir. 3 Grapes designate producers of exceptional standing, whose wines can be trusted regardless of the vintage. Burgundy opened the way earlier this year, Bordeaux picks up the baton.
84 estates, a map of the Bordeaux vineyards
The inaugural Bordeaux selection brings together 84 estates. In detail, as announced by the MICHELIN Guide at the Cité du Vin: 9 châteaux with 3 Grapes, 16 châteaux with 2 Grapes, 38 châteaux with 1 Grape, and 21 châteaux simply selected, with no Grape awarded. The geographical scope covers the major Bordeaux appellations: Médoc (Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux), Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Sauternes and Barsac.
The reading is interesting: Michelin is not trying to redo a historic classification, it lays its own grid over a vineyard it has known for a long time, and it chooses to show a Bordeaux in movement, with its great signatures but also new generations, new formats and new farming approaches.
The 9 châteaux awarded 3 MICHELIN Grapes
The list of the nine estates awarded 3 MICHELIN Grapes for this first Bordeaux selection, as announced in the auditorium:
- Château Léoville Las Cases, Saint-Julien
- Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
- Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe
- Pétrus, Pomerol
- Château La Conseillante, Pomerol
- Château Lafleur, Vin de France, on the Pomerol plateau
- Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion
- Château-Figeac, Saint-Émilion
- Château d'Yquem, Sauternes
It is a line-up that tells the whole story of Bordeaux through its grape varieties: the cabernets of the left bank, the merlots and cabernet francs of the right bank, and the emblematic sweet wine of Sauternes. The full list of the 84 estates is available on the MICHELIN Guide website and app.
How the MICHELIN Guide evaluates the Grapes
The methodology is the same everywhere in the world. MICHELIN Guide inspectors, independent salaried staff, former sommeliers, specialised critics or wine professionals, evaluate each estate against five criteria:
- The quality of the agronomy
- Technical mastery
- The identity of the estate
- The balance of the wines
- Consistency over time
In other words, the Grape is not decided on a single bottle tasted at one moment. It is decided on the work in the vineyard, the signature of the cellar and the regularity across vintages. This cross-reading is what gives the distinction its consistency with the historic spirit of the Guide: a reliable reference point for the traveller.
The evening at the Cité du Vin, from the team's side
Arrival in the late afternoon at the InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel, Place de la Comédie, a hotel selected by the MICHELIN Guide. Group departure by van to the Cité du Vin in the early evening, welcome on level 2 in front of the permanent exhibition by Solène Jaboulet, marketing and communications director of the venue. Private tour of the museum with an audio guide, then a stop in the Salon Lafayette.
At 8:20 pm, official announcement of the selection in the auditorium by Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. A measured speech, a screening of the awarded estates and a clear focus on the five evaluation criteria. The evening carried on with a dinner cocktail signed Humblot Experiences and Charles Heidsieck, and the following day the delegation was taken to Château Troplong Mondot, in Saint-Émilion, for a visit and a tasting of the 2026 vintage in the vats with Aymeric de Gironde, president of the estate.
What we take away from this first Bordeaux edition: Bordeaux keeps a place of its own in the story of French wine, and the mechanics of the MICHELIN Grapes add a new reading key for anyone looking to find their way through the vineyard without relying only on historic classifications.
MICHELIN Grapes Bordeaux Selection
Official announcement: Monday 7 September 2026 at the Cité du Vin
Address: 134 quai de Bacalan, 33000 Bordeaux
MICHELIN Guide website: guide.michelin.com
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