Editorial
Bordeaux: a land of infinite exploration!
Let us keep a taste for great discoveries and imagine together Bordeaux as a land of exploration and an almost unlimited field of wine possibilities. It seems to me that this premise will allow us to embrace the multiple, singular or even declining demands of a volatile, or increasingly discerning, consumption. Bordeaux, its industry, wine merchants and restaurateurs must promote an almost infinite land of exploration and call on consumers to put on their seven-league boots.
Making it and making it known
By the yardstick — for once — of my own organoleptic experience, I recently experienced different facets of it, starting with Stéphane Derenoncourt’s BDX Jus. A popular, unpretentious counter wine that you drink at the end of a zinc bar. With the tasting of Château La Lagune 2016, silky and elegant, I returned to better-charted territory (though even so). A wine appreciated at its true worth in the bustling Bacalan market halls and with tapas. Bordeaux has also been able to take on the fine contours of a tank-aged Malbec, peppery and floral, with Domaine des Carmels in Côtes de Cadillac, or of a delicate Médoc, lightly sulphured and lightly extracted: Château La Gorce Prétexte 2022 from the sprightly Emmanuel and Mana. Four wine pleasures that, while they do not by themselves, far from it, make up a complete picture of the offer, tell by implication the diversity, the richness and the renewed vitality of Bordeaux.
Rebirths
In this Lettre Féret, we had the pleasure of interviewing Yves Raymond, who campaigned for his Médoc land to turn into white-wine land on the basis of a precedent recounted by the Féret guide from 1868, a new Médoc AOP that still responds to a definite craze for whites. Our spotlight, Benjamin Hessel of Château Les Annereaux, if he wishes to reinvent a range, will do so without losing his soul as a Gironde winegrower, on a ridge path, walked with head held high. Our new partner Échos de Bordeaux gives us a report on the dense and necessary agroecology conference of 14 November last, where Bordeaux showed some willingness to reinvent itself in order to be reborn.
Féret’s major projects
Bordeaux et ses vins for its part continues its fine bicentennial adventure, to be reborn ten years after the 19th edition. As we announced, the 20th edition of Bordeaux et ses vins will see the light of day in spring 2026 (*). We will tell you about it more precisely soon. In the meantime, do not forget to send us the names of personalities who could join La Liste Féret, the other major editorial project of the emblematic Bordeaux publishing house ➡️Personality recommendation(s) whatever their field of activity.
I wish you a lovely festive season!
Henry Clemens, publication director
NB: Christmas is approaching, and we are offering the older editions of the Féret with a 15% discount using the code NOEL15 ➡️ online shop: https://librairie.feret.com/
(*) Press review for Bordeaux et ses Vins :
Terre de Vins: The Féret Guide is back
Sud-Ouest: After ten years’ absence, the Féret gets back to work
Echos Judiciaires de Gironde: A Féret guide “Bordeaux et ses vins” in preparation for 2026
Courrier de Gironde: Publishing. A new Féret for 2026
