Matthew Knight
10/09/2026
Every Estate Awarded Grapes
Michelin’s first Bordeaux wine classification has awarded Three Grapes to nine estates, Two Grapes to 16 and One Grape to 37. A further 21 producers were included as Selected estates.
The results were announced on 7 September 2026 at the Cité du Vin. Bordeaux is the second region assessed under Michelin’s new wine guide, following Burgundy.
One point matters immediately: Michelin awards Grapes, not Stars, to wine producers. Three Grapes is its highest distinction.
| Award | Number of estates | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Three MICHELIN Grapes | 9 | Exceptional producers trusted to perform regardless of vintage |
| Two MICHELIN Grapes | 16 | Excellent producers distinguished by quality and consistency |
| One MICHELIN Grape | 37 | Very good producers making wines of character and style |
| MICHELIN Selected | 21 | Dependable producers chosen for continued review |
The detailed classification therefore contains 83 estates in total, including 62 with at least one Grape.
MICHELIN Grapes are estate-level wine distinctions. Unlike a critic score for one wine or vintage, the award assesses the producer’s broader standards and consistency over time.
Michelin evaluates estates against five criteria:
Michelin says its dedicated wine inspectors reach decisions collectively and independently. The official methodology applies the same five criteria across every region assessed.
| Appellation | Estate |
|---|---|
| Saint-Julien | Château Léoville Las Cases |
| Pauillac | Château Lafite Rothschild |
| Saint-Estèphe | Château Montrose |
| Pomerol | Petrus |
| Pomerol | Château La Conseillante |
| Pomerol | Château Lafleur |
| Saint-Émilion | Château Cheval Blanc |
| Saint-Émilion | Château-Figeac |
| Sauternes | Château d’Yquem |
Michelin’s top tier is not a simple repeat of Bordeaux’s existing hierarchy. Lafite Rothschild is the only 1855 First Growth to receive Three Grapes, while Pomerol places three estates in the highest category.
| Appellation | Estates |
|---|---|
| Pauillac | Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Château Pichon Baron, Château Pontet-Canet |
| Margaux | Château Margaux, Château Palmer |
| Saint-Émilion | Château Troplong Mondot, Château Canon, Château Ausone, Château Angélus, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot |
| Pomerol | Vieux Château Certan |
| Pessac-Léognan | Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion |
| Sauternes | Château de Fargues |
This tier includes three other 1855 First Growths, Mouton Rothschild, Margaux and Haut-Brion, alongside estates from both banks and Sauternes.
| Appellation | Estates |
|---|---|
| Saint-Émilion | Château Canon La Gaffelière, Château Bélair-Monange, La Mondotte, Château Beauséjour, Château Bellefont-Belcier, Château Jean Faure, Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Berliquet, Château Mangot, Château Soutard |
| Saint-Julien | Château Branaire-Ducru, Château Léoville Barton, Château Lagrange, Château Langoa Barton |
| Saint-Estèphe | Château Calon Ségur, Château Cos d’Estournel, Château Haut-Marbuzet |
| Pessac-Léognan | Château de Fieuzal, Domaine de Chevalier, Château Haut-Bailly, Château Smith Haut Lafitte |
| Margaux | Château Giscours, Château Brane-Cantenac, Château Rauzan-Ségla |
| Pauillac | Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Château Lynch-Bages, Château Clerc Milon |
| Pomerol | Château Clinet, Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Château Trotanoy, Château L’Évangile, Château Le Pin |
| Sauternes and Barsac | Château Coutet, Château Sigalas Rabaud, Château Closiot, Château Rieussec, Château Suduiraut |
The complete official Bordeaux selection is available through the MICHELIN Guide.
Michelin’s classification cuts across the 1855 Classification and Saint-Émilion’s existing hierarchy.
Among the five 1855 First Growths:
On the Right Bank, La Conseillante receives Three Grapes, while Le Pin receives One. In Sauternes, d’Yquem takes Three Grapes, with de Fargues the only Two-Grape producer.
These differences do not rewrite the legal or historic classifications. They create a new, independent assessment based on Michelin’s own methodology and its emphasis on consistency across vintages.
Michelin’s launch material contains an internal numerical inconsistency.
The opening announcement refers to 84 estates, including 38 One-Grape producers. However, Michelin’s detailed classification names 37 One-Grape estates and summarises the awards as:
Those figures total 83 estates. Michelin’s separate Bordeaux selection page also describes 83 estates.
This article therefore uses 37 One-Grape estates and 83 overall, based on the named list and internally consistent breakdown. The launch announcement may be corrected later.
The Michelin Grapes give collectors another way to evaluate producer reputation, but they do not automatically change a wine’s investment value.
Three effects are worth watching.
Michelin has global recognition beyond the traditional wine trade. A Three- or Two-Grape award could introduce an estate to a wider audience and reinforce demand, particularly in international markets.
The results may encourage collectors to reassess estates whose Michelin position differs from their traditional rank. La Conseillante receiving Three Grapes while Le Pin receives One is an obvious example.
Investment performance still depends on the wine, vintage, release price, critic opinion, available supply, provenance and secondary-market liquidity. Michelin’s first Bordeaux selection is too new to demonstrate a measurable long-term effect on prices.
The awards should therefore be treated as an additional quality signal, not a standalone instruction to buy or sell.
The Three-Grape list contains globally established investment names such as Lafite Rothschild, Petrus, Lafleur, Cheval Blanc and d’Yquem. Their awards may reinforce existing demand rather than create it.
The more interesting question may be whether Michelin gives additional visibility to estates whose market prices sit below the region’s most expensive names. Investors should compare awarded producers on:
As Moncharm’s H1 2026 fine-wine analysis showed, market performance remains concentrated among particular wines and vintages. A Michelin distinction does not make every release equally investable.
Michelin’s Bordeaux wine classification introduces a genuinely new hierarchy rather than simply repeating established rankings.
Lafite is the only 1855 First Growth awarded Three Grapes. La Conseillante sits in Michelin’s top tier while Le Pin receives One. Château Latour is absent from the Grape-awarded categories.
Those decisions will generate debate and possibly fresh collector attention. For wine investors, Michelin Grapes should be considered a useful new quality signal, but never a substitute for price, provenance, liquidity and individual-vintage analysis.
To explore Bordeaux and other opportunities in the fine wine market, download Moncharm’s free wine investment guide or speak to our team.
It is Michelin’s first estate-level assessment of Bordeaux producers. Introduced in September 2026, it awards One, Two or Three Grapes and also identifies Selected estates.
No. Michelin awards Grapes, not Stars, to wine estates. Three Grapes is the highest level.
Léoville Las Cases, Lafite Rothschild, Montrose, Petrus, La Conseillante, Lafleur, Cheval Blanc, Figeac and d’Yquem.
The detailed classification contains 62 Grape-awarded estates: nine with Three Grapes, 16 with Two and 37 with One. A further 21 were Selected, creating an internally consistent total of 83.
No. The 1855 Classification and other Bordeaux classifications remain unchanged. Michelin provides a separate contemporary assessment using its own five criteria.
Possibly for selected estates, but there is no evidence yet of a sustained price effect. Quality, supply, release price, critic opinion and market demand remain more important.
22 Sep 2026
