Food & Wine reports that experts interviewed for its 28 September article have found no evidence of smoke taint affecting Bordeaux’s 2026 vintage, despite extensive summer wildfires. Most vineyards were sufficiently distant from the fires, according to those interviewed. The article explains that smoke compounds can become apparent during fermentation, with reds particularly vulnerable because of prolonged skin contact. Heat appears to have been the greater influence this year, with richer wines expected alongside better-preserved acidity than some producers anticipated.
Bordeaux
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Michelin’s 3-Grape Bordeaux Ratings Have Wine Experts Seeing Red
2oceansvibe reports that Michelin’s recently introduced Bordeaux wine-estate ratings are attracting criticism from parts of the wine trade over their methodology and the practice of assigning a single rating to an estate rather than individual vintages or wines. Michelin awarded three grapes to nine Bordeaux estates, two to 16 and one to 37, while defending a process based on agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency across vintages.
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Bordeaux Allows Sweetening of Wines
Meininger reports that Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur producers are moving towards allowing wines across all styles, including reds, clarets, rosés and whites, to be sweetened after fermentation to as much as 7 grams of residual sugar per litre, breaking with Bordeaux’s traditional association with fully dry wines and raising concerns that the region could follow other European areas towards softer, more commercially styled wines. The decision was approved by the appellations’ management body on 26 June 2026, following a broader ruling by France’s INAO that dry AOC still wines may be sweetened under certain conditions, a practice previously limited to IGP and Vin de France wines. Supporters, particularly négociants focused on exports and changing consumer tastes, argue that slightly sweeter wines could attract new audiences, while many growers fear that the move could weaken Bordeaux’s identity and encourage a broader shift towards sweeter styles, an issue also attracting interest from producers in Côtes-du-Rhône.
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Bordeaux Revives ‘Claret’ for a New Generation of Drinkers
The Drinks Business reports on Bordeaux’s attempt to reposition claret as a lighter, fresher and more accessible style for younger consumers. The revived category emphasises fruit, lower tannins, moderate alcohol and the option of serving the wine chilled, reflecting declining demand for traditional, powerful Bordeaux reds and growing interest in easy-drinking wines.