Bordeaux Classifications
Almost as long as people have been drinking wine, people have been classifying it. Some 2000 years ago, Romans wrote about their wines, and in the middle ages there were various systems of classification. More recently, the Classifications of Bordeaux and the Burgundy Grands Crus hold a great deal of prestige and influence. In Bordeaux, the most famous classification is the one from 1855 for the Médoc (with Haut-Brion from Graves), Sauternes, and Barsac. Graves established its own classification in 1959, and St-Emilion updates its list every 10 or so years. For a complete, regularly updated list of all French AOCs, click here.
The 1855 Classification, Reviewed in 1973
For the 1855 Exposition Universelle, Napoleon III asked the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce to rank Bordeaux's top wines into five classes. The Chamber of Commerce went to Bordeaux's wine brokers, who ranked the estates largely by the price of their wines. The result was 61 classed estates, all but one from the Médoc. By appellation, it breaks down to Margaux: 21, Saint-Julien 11, Pauillac 18, Saint-Estèphe 5, Haut-Médoc 5, and Graves (now Péssac-Léognan) 1.
The Bordeaux brokers claimed their findings were based on 100 years of experience and today, more than 150 years later, it is still largely regarded as a reasonable indication of quality. The only revision since 1855 came in 1973 when, after much lobbying by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild moved from Second to First Growth.
| First Growths Premiers Crus (Commune) | Fourth Growths Quatrièmes Crus (Commune) | |
| Château Haut-Brion Pessac (Péssac-Léognan) | Château Beychevelle (Saint-Julien) | |
| Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) | Château Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien) | |
| Château Latour (Pauillac) | Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild (Pauillac) | |
| Château Margaux (Margaux) | Château La Tour-Carnet (Haut Médoc) | |
| Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) | Château Lafon-Rochet (Saint-Estèphe) | |
| Château Marquis-de-Terme (Margaux) | ||
| Second Growths Deuxièmes Crus (Commune) | Château Pouget (Margaux) | |
| Château Brane-Cantenac (Margaux) | Château Prieuré-Lichine (Margaux) | |
| Château Cos d'Estournel (Saint-Estèphe) | Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) | |
| Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (Saint-Julien) | Château Talbot (Saint-Julien) | |
| Château Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) | ||
| Château Gruaud-Larose (Saint-Julien) | Fifth Growths Cinquièmes Crus (Commune) | |
| Château Lascombes (Margaux) | Château Batailley (Pauillac) | |
| Château Léoville-Barton (Saint-Julien) | Château Belgrave (Haut-Médoc) | |
| Château Léoville-Las Cases (Saint-Julien) | Château Camensac (Haut-Médoc) | |
| Château Léoville-Poyferré (Saint-Julien) | Château Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc) | |
| Château Montrose (Saint-Estèphe) | Château Clerc-Milon (Pauillac) | |
| Château Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse-de-Lalande (Pauillac) | Château Cos-Labory (Saint-Estèphe) | |
| Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron (Pauillac) | Château Croizet-Bages (Pauillac) | |
| Château Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) | Château d'Armailhac (Pauillac) | |
| Château Rauzan-Gassies (Margaux) | Château Dauzac (Margaux) | |
| Château du Tertre (Margaux) | ||
| Third Growths Troisièmes Crus (Commune) | Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse (Pauillac) | |
| Château Boyd-Cantenac (Margaux) | Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) | |
| Château Calon-Ségur (Saint-Estèphe) | Château Haut-Bages-Libéral (Pauillac) | |
| Château Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) | Château Haut-Batailley (Pauillac) | |
| Château Desmirail (Margaux) | Château Lynch-Bages (Pauillac) | |
| Château d'Issan (Margaux) | Château Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac) | |
| Château Ferrière (Margaux) | Château Pédesclaux (Pauillac) | |
| Château Giscours (Margaux) | Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) | |
| Château Kirwan (Margaux) | ||
| Château La Lagune (Haut-Médoc) | ||
| Château Lagrange (Saint-Julien) | ||
| Château Langoa (Saint-Julien) | ||
| Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry (Margaux) | ||
| Château Marquis d'Alesme-Becker (Margaux) | ||
| Château Palmer (Margaux) |
The 1855 Crus Classés of Sauternes-Barsac
Along with the above classifications, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce classed the wines of Sauternes and Barsac. This time into 3 categories: First Great Growth, First Growth, and Second Growth.
| First Great Growth Premier Cru Supérieur |
Second Growths Deuxièmes Crus |
|
| Château d'Yquem | Château Broustet | |
| First Growths Premiers Crus | Château Caillou | |
| Château Climens | Château d'Arche | |
| Château Coutet | Château de Malle | |
| Château Guiraud | Château Myrat | |
| Château La Tour-Blanche | Château Doisy-Daëne | |
| Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Château Doisy-Dubroca | |
| Château Rabaud-Promis | Château Doisy-Védrines | |
| Château Rayne-Vigneau | Château Filhot | |
| Château Rieussec | Château Lamothe-Despujols | |
| Château Sigalas-Rabaud | Château Lamothe-Guignard | |
| Château Suduiraut | Château Nairac | |
| Clos Haut-Peyraguey | Château Romer | |
| Château Romer du Hayot | ||
| Château Suau |
The 1959 Crus Classés of Graves
With only Haut Brion figuring in the 1855 classification, Graves needed to develop its own. Although these vineyards predated those of the Médoc by centuries, it still took about 100 years to produce this classification. While the 1855 Classification of the Médoc was only for reds (white médoc is sold as Bordeaux AOC), this classification of Graves classed the châteaux for red, white, or both. The classification was drawn up in 1953 and became official in 1959. There's hope for an updated classification soon, as there are so many great estates not listed here.
| Château Bouscaut | Red | White |
| Château Carbonnieux | Red | White |
| Château Couhins | White | |
| Château Couhins-Lurton | White | |
| Château Fieuzal | Red | |
| Château Haut-Bailly | Red | |
| Château Haut-Brion | Red | |
| Château La Mission Haut-Brion | Red | |
| Château La Tour-Martillac | Red | White |
| Château Latour-Haut-Brion | Red | |
| Château Laville-Haut-Brion | White | |
| Château Malartic Lagravière | Red | White |
| Château Olivier | Red | White |
| Château Pape-Clément | Red | |
| Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte | Red | |
| Domaine de Chevalier | Red | White |
The 2006 Classification of Saint-Emilion Grands Crus
The classification of Saint-Emilion is unique because it is regularly reviewed and updated, based on the wines' quality and prices. It was originally compiled in 1955, and is supposed to be reviewed every 10 years. It was reviewed in 1969, 1985, 1996, and 2006. The December 2006 edition came with a lot of debate and was suspended in March of 2007, but was finally reinstated in November. There are 3 classifications: Premiers Grand Crus Classés A, Premiers Grands Crus Classés B, and Grand Cru Classé. 'Grand Cru', without the 'Classé' is awarded to a great deal of St Emilion Châteaux.
The wines of Pomerol not classified, but Château Pétrus is usually grouped with the 5 first growths of 1855, Château Ausone, and Château Cheval Blanc. In 2006, 11 of the 1996 Châteaux lost their Grand Cru Classé status, 6 moved up to it, and 2 moved from Grand Cru to Premier Grand Cru B. The next review should be in 2016.
| Premiers Grand Cru Classés A | Château Ausone |
| Château Cheval-Blanc | |
| Premiers Grand Cru Classés B | Château Angelus |
| Château Beau-Séjour (Bécot) | |
| Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) | |
| Château Belair | |
| Château Canon* | |
| Château Figeac | |
| Château La Gaffeliere | |
| Château Magdelaine | |
| Château Pavie* | |
| Château Pavie-Macquin | |
| Château Trolong Mondot | |
| Château Trotte Vieille | |
| Clos Fourtet | |
| Grand Cru Classés | Château Balestard la Tonnelle |
| Château Bellefont-Belcier | |
| Château Bergat | |
| Château Berliquet | |
| Château Cadet-Piola | |
| Château Canon La Gaffeliere | |
| Château Cap de Mourlin | |
| Château Chauvin | |
| Château Corbin | |
| Château Corbin-Michotte | |
| Château Dassault | |
| Château Destieux | |
| Château Fleur Cardinale | |
| Château Fonplégade | |
| Château Fonroque | |
| Château Franc-Mayne | |
| Château Grand Corbin | |
| Château Grand Corbin-Despagne | |
| Château Grand Mayne | |
| Château Grand Pontet | |
| Château Haut-Corbin | |
| Château Haut-Sarpe | |
| Château La Clotte | |
| Château La Couspaude | |
| Château La Dominique | |
| Château La Serre | |
| Château La Tour-Figeac | |
| Château Laniote | |
| Château Larcis Ducasse | |
| Château Larmande | |
| Château Laroque | |
| Château Laroze | |
| Château L'Arrosée | |
| Château Le Prieuré | |
| Château Les Grandes Murailles | |
| Château Matras | |
| Château Monbousquet | |
| Château Moulin du Cadet | |
| Château Pavie-Decesse | |
| Château Ripeau | |
| Château Saint-Georges Cote Pavie | |
| Château Soutard | |
| Clos de L'Oratoire | |
| Clos des Jacobins | |
| Clos Saint-Martin | |
| Couvent des Jacobins |
* Since 1996, Château la Clusière became part of Château Pavie, and Château Curé-Bon-la-Madeliene became part of Château Canon.
