Winemakers accused of rigging Grand Cru rankings

Leading Bordeaux figures alleged to have acted as judge and jury in deciding exclusive Saint-emilion list

IT IS a landmark case that has gripped the Bordeaux wine world.

Two top figures from one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions yesterday went on trial accused of rigging the area’s coveted Saint-emilion Grand Cru Classé rankings to inflate the price of their châteaux’ vintages by up to one third.

Hubert de Boüard, 65, the co-owner of the Château Angélus and a wine consultant, along with Philippe Castéja, 72, a wine merchant and the owner of Château Trotte Vieille, face charges of “illegal taking of interest” by acting as both judge and jury in drawing up the coveted list.

The pair face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines of €500,000 (£430,000) if found guilty. As influential members of INAO, France’s wine-governing body, prosecutors say they were unfairly able to ensure their own domaines, plus others they are paid to advise, maintained their ranking or joined the select club.

“It’s as if someone who passed the baccalaureate [A-level] exam wrote the subjects himself,” Eric Morain, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, said.

The legal battle has been simmering in the village since the INAO published its new classification for Saint-emilion in 2012. The ranking has two main categories: Grand Cru Classé and the more prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé.

Unlike Bordeaux’s 1855 classification, which is set in stone, the Saint-emilion ranking is reassessed every 10 years. Entry is said to boost the price of the wine – reds made predominantly from merlot and cabernet franc grapes – by about 30 per cent, and also increase property prices.

The top four A-grade chateaux – Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Pavie and Angélus – are among the most expensive wines in the world. A bottle of Angélus will set you back around £400, with Ausone soaring into the thousands.

In the 2012 rankings, the INAO selected 82 châteaux in Saint-emilion – some 64 Grands Crus Classés and 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés.

But the disgruntled owners of three châteaux – La Tour du Pin Figeac, Corbin-michotte and Croque-michotte – cried foul after the first failed to make the grade, the second lost its Grand Cru Classé status and Croque-michotte was refused promotion from Grand Cru to Grand Cru Classé. A separate administrative case has seen the 2012 rankings put on ice while legal appeals continue.

Mr Morain accused the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office of being under political pressure to have the case quashed after – in a highly unusual move – it appealed against the investigating magistrate’s decision to send the case to court.

The entire Saint-emilion ranking system was also on trial, he contended. Both accused deny any wrongdoing.

The trial continues.