Bordeaux Claret Gets the Green Light for Sweetening

INAO approves a historic framework allowing grape must addition to Bordeaux’s revived lightweight red

The French appellation system has long drawn a firm line against sweetening in its wines. That line just shifted. On 12 February 2026, the Comité National des Appellations d’Origine relatives aux Vins — the wine committee of the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) — voted to approve a formal framework allowing Bordeaux claret to incorporate grape must for the purpose of residual sweetness. It marks the first time an AOC specification document has included provisions for post-fermentation sweetening, a move that is both technically modest and symbolically seismic.

A Doctrine Rewritten

The decision does not arrive in a vacuum. It follows the INAO’s doctrinal shift of 27 November 2025, which replaced the blanket prohibition on sweetening within appellation wines with a regulated, case-by-case approach. Under the new framework, any AOC may now petition to include sweetening in its cahier des charges — provided certain guardrails are respected.

Those guardrails are precise: the finished wine must not exceed 9 g/l of residual fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose); only concentrated grape must or rectified concentrated grape must (MC/MCR) sourced from the same appellation may be used; the addition may occur no earlier than 1 November following the harvest, to ensure it takes place after primary vinification; and the operation must be carried out within the appellation’s geographical area. In short, the link to terroir must remain intact.

Bordeaux claret is the first to walk through this newly opened door, requesting permission for additions of up to 7 g/l — comfortably within the 9 g/l ceiling. The measure still faces a two-month Procédure Nationale d’Opposition (PNO) before final ratification, a standard step given that it touches what INAO leadership has acknowledged is a sensitive element of the specification.

What Bordeaux Claret Actually Is

It is worth pausing on the wine itself. Bordeaux claret is not a new invention; rather, it is the revival of a centuries-old designation. The term claret has Anglo-Saxon roots stretching back to the twelfth century, when it described the pale, light reds shipped from Bordeaux to English markets — wines that predated the tannic, deeply extracted style that would come to define the region’s modern identity.

The revamped claret, presented in its 2025 vintage at Wine Paris, is defined as a light, fruity red meant to be served chilled. Its technical parameters reflect that intent: a Total Polyphenol Index (IPT) between 20 and 55, indicating a deliberately restrained tannic structure, and a Modified Colour Intensity (ICM) ranging from 3 to 15, allowing for a spectrum from pale ruby to medium red. Residual sugar levels may range from bone-dry to 7 g/l, offering winemakers a broad palette of stylistic expression.

Production figures for the 2025 vintage have reached 16,500 hectolitres claimed under the new claret designation — a notable increase from the roughly 10,000 hectolitres produced under the previous, less clearly defined iteration.

The Strategic Logic of Sweetness

Why sweetening, and why now? The reasoning is rooted in market reality rather than winemaking tradition. A modest level of residual sugar — well below the threshold of perceptible sweetness for most tasters — can smooth out tannins, add roundness to the mid-palate, and lower the barrier to entry for consumers who find conventional red Bordeaux austere or intimidating. The target audience is not the seasoned collector but the curious newcomer, the consumer who gravitates toward accessible, fruit-forward wines and who may never have considered Bordeaux as a category.

This is a calculated bet. Bordeaux’s governing body, the Organisme de Défense et de Gestion (ODG), has been candid about the uncertainty involved. The real verdict, as its leadership has made clear, will come not from trade fairs but from retail shelves and dinner tables over the months ahead. The ODG plans to present eleven ambassador wines at forthcoming events including ProWein in Düsseldorf and Vinitaly in Verona, extending the conversation beyond French borders.

Wider Implications for French Appellations

Bordeaux claret may be the pioneer, but it is unlikely to remain alone. Other appellations are already studying the possibility of requesting similar provisions. The Côtes-du-Rhône, notably, has expressed interest in both the sweetening framework and the potential adoption of the claret designation itself as a cross-appellation mention — a mention transversale that could, in principle, be applied to qualifying wines across multiple regions.

This raises fascinating questions about the future architecture of French wine law. If claret becomes a transversal designation, it would effectively create a style-based category that transcends regional boundaries — a significant departure from the terroir-first logic that has governed the AOC system since its inception. Whether such a development would dilute the meaning of appellation or, conversely, give the system a necessary degree of flexibility in a rapidly shifting global market is a debate that is only beginning.

A Measured Revolution

It would be easy to overstate what has happened. The amounts of sugar involved are minute. The regulatory framework is narrow and carefully policed. The wine in question is a niche product within a vast appellation. And yet, the principle that has been conceded is a significant one: that an AOC wine in France may, under defined conditions, be sweetened after fermentation.

For an institution as deliberative as the INAO, this is movement at real speed. The doctrinal change in November, the committee vote in February, and the imminent launch of the PNO consultation suggest an organisation that recognises the urgency of adapting its regulatory tools to a market that will not wait. Whether Bordeaux claret itself finds its audience remains genuinely open. What is already settled is that French wine law has entered new territory — and other appellations are watching closely.