BORDEAUX CLASSIFICATION EXPLAINED

Bordeaux is classified in more detail than any other wine region. Each sub-region has a different term for each rank of quality – for example, in the Médoc, Premier Cru signifies the highest quality of wine, while in Burgundy, Premier Cru is a step below the highest, which is Grand Cru. Confused? Here’s an explanation of the differences.

Médoc The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, a list of the topranked wines, named the Grand Crus Classés (Great Classified Growths). Being classified carries the mark of high prestige, and the list has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

Within the Grand Cru Classé list, wines are further ranked and placed in one of five divisions: Premier, Deuxième, Troisième, Quatrième and Cinqièmes Cru.

The highest rank of Premier Cru has five wines. Four come from the Médoc region – Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion and Château Mouton Rothschild – the last of these promoted to Premier Cru status in 1973 after decades of lobbying by its owner, Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The fifth, Château Haut-Brion, is produced in Graves.

Sauternes and Barsac The top producers here were also given classifications in 1855. Château d’Yquem was the only producer given as a Premier Cru Supérieur Classé status, while 11 were designated as Premiers Crus Classés and 12 as Deuxièmes Crus Classés. Some of the Premiers Crus Classés producers have been divided into smaller estates, increasing the number of Premiers Crus Classés to 15.

Graves Some 16 châteaux were classified as Crus Classés in 1953. This list has been revised once, in 1959.

Saint-Emilion In 1954, 11 producers were classified as Premiers Grands Crus Classés, and 53 were designated Grands Crus Classés. The list is revised every ten years.

Pomerol Bordeaux’s smallest wine-growing region has avoided the complicated classification process and was not included in the 1855 classification – labels read “Appellation Pomerol Contrôlée”. Its most famous château is Petrus, which produces one of Bordeaux’s most expensive and prestigious red wines.