Advice
MICHELIN Grapes: Burgundy's Best Wineries Receive a New Benchmark for Excellence
For decades, the MICHELIN Guide has shaped the way we think about the world's greatest restaurants. This year, New Zealand welcomed Michelin inspectors for the first time, placing the guide firmly in the spotlight. At the same time, Michelin has quietly launched another significant initiative: MICHELIN Grapes, a new rating system recognising the world's finest wine estates. Unlike many traditional wine critics, who typically assess individual wines or vintages, MICHELIN Grapes recognises the producer itself. The inaugural 2026 selection focuses solely on Burgundy, evaluating domaines on the quality of their vineyards, winemaking, expression of terroir, consistency across vintages and the recognisable style of the estate.What Are MICHELIN Grapes? Michelin's connection to wine isn't entirely new. The guide introduced its Outstanding Wine List Award in 2004, followed by the MICHELIN Sommelier Award in 2019. MICHELIN Grapes takes that commitment a step further. Rather than awarding a single bottle, inspectors assess the estate as a whole. The published criteria include: Vineyard quality and agronomy Winemaking excellence Expression of site and terroir A distinctive and recognisable house style Consistency over multiple vintages The system mirrors the famous Michelin restaurant stars, with wineries receiving one, two or three grapes, alongside a broader list of "Selected" producers. Why Burgundy Was Chosen First It feels entirely appropriate that Burgundy became the first region to receive the MICHELIN Grapes treatment. A wine region that places greater emphasis on the relationship between vineyard, producer and terroir. Evaluating an estate across multiple vintages arguably tells a richer story than judging a single release. The inaugural 2026 selection recognises 94 estates, including: 9 Three-Grape estates 20 Two-Grape estates 33 One-Grape estates 32 Selected producers The names at the very top are hardly surprising. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Coche-Dury and Domaine Georges Roumier have long been considered among the world's greatest wine producers. Their wines are exceptionally rare, tightly allocated and command prices that place them beyond the reach of most collectors. One question inevitably follows: will another prestigious accolade make these already scarce wines even more difficult to access?Where the Real Interest Lies Perhaps the greatest value of MICHELIN Grapes isn't confirming what collectors already know. Instead, it's shining a light on outstanding producers whose wines remain remarkably attainable. Browsing the One Grape category quickly reveals a number of domaines producing exceptional wines without the eye-watering prices associated with Burgundy's most famous names. Among them is Henri & Gilles Buisson.Henri & Gilles Buisson: A Producer Worth Discovering Located in Saint-Romain, Henri & Gilles Buisson has been imported by Normanby Fine Wines since late last year. Our Director of Wine, Liz Wheadon, visited the domaine during her Burgundy trip last year and immediately recognised the quality of both the vineyards and the wines. Given Michelin's emphasis on vineyard management, terroir and consistency, seeing Henri & Gilles Buisson recognised comes as little surprise. What makes the inclusion particularly exciting is the value. While many MICHELIN-recognised producers sell for thousands of dollars per bottle, the top wine in the Henri & Gilles Buisson range sits at $125, while their Bourgogne is available for $64.99—offering remarkable value for a domaine now recognised alongside some of Burgundy's greatest names. There is still a small amount of the 2023 Bourgogne available, while the 2024 vintage arrives in mid-August 2026 The full range is already online and we're happy to accept pre-orders. Given the attention this recognition is likely to generate, we expect the wines to sell through quickly. The Inaugural 2026 MICHELIN Grapes Awards 🍇🍇🍇 Three MICHELIN Grapes (9) Domaine Cécile Tremblay Domaine Coche-Dury Domaine d'Auvenay Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Domaine Leroy Domaine Dugat-Py Domaine Hubert Lamy Domaine Jean-Marc & Thomas Bouley Domaine Georges Roumier 🍇🍇 Two MICHELIN Grapes (20) Arnaud Ente Benoît Ente Benoît Moreau Bonneau du Martray Bruno Clair Bruno Lorenzon Denis Mortet Domaine des Comtes Lafon Domaine des Croix Domaine Leflaive Domaine Dujac Dureuil-Janthial Etienne Sauzet Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Gérard Mugneret Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Jean-Claude Bachelet Jean-Marc Vincent Lamy-Caillat Paul Pillot 🍇 One MICHELIN Grape (33) Domaine Armand Rousseau Domaine Claude Dugat Domaine Denis Bachelet Domaine Duroché Domaine Joseph Roty Domaine Trapet Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Domaine Louis Boillot Clos de Tart Domaine des Lambrays Domaine Ponsot Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Domaine Méo-Camuzet Château de la Tour Domaine Faiveley Domaine Bernard-Bonin Domaine Henri Boillot Domaine Henri Germain Domaine Roulot Domaine Vincent Girardin Domaine de Montille Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Domaine Michel Lafarge Domaine Roblet-Monnot Benjamin Leroux Maison Joseph Drouhin Maison Louis Jadot Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Marc Colin Henri & Gilles Buisson Will MICHELIN Grapes become as influential as Michelin Stars? Only time will tell. For collectors, the top estates were already household names. The real value of this new classification may lie elsewhere: identifying producers quietly crafting exceptional wines before demand inevitably catches up. For us, it's particularly pleasing to see Henri & Gilles Buisson recognised in the inaugural selection. It's further validation of a producer we were excited to introduce well before Michelin came calling—and one we believe offers some of Burgundy's most compelling value today. If you've been looking for an opportunity to experience a Michelin-recognised Burgundy producer without entering four-figure territory, this may be one of the most exciting places to start.
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