Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
requested a classification system for
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
's best
Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
s that were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a
château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Nowaday ...
's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality.
The wines were ranked in importance from
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
red wine
Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...
s that made it on the list came from the
Médoc
The Médoc (; oc, label= Gascon, Medòc ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the ''département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''(Pagus) Medull ...
region except for one:
Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion () is a French wine, rated a ''Premier Grand Cru Classé'' ( First Great Growth), produced in Pessac just outside the city of Bordeaux. It differs from the other wines on the list in its geographic location in the north of ...
from
Graves
A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...
. The
white wine
White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...
s, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from superior first growth to second growth.
Changes to the classification
Within each category, the various châteaux are ranked in order of quality and only twice since the 1855 classification has there been a change: first when in 1856 Cantemerle was added as a fifth growth (having either been originally omitted by oversight or added as an afterthought, depending on which of the conflicting accounts is correct) and, more significantly, in 1973, when
Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc region, 50 km (30 mi) north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ''Château Brane-Mouton'', its red wine was renamed by ...
was elevated from a second growth to a first growth
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
after decades of intense lobbying by the powerful
Philippe de Rothschild
Philippe, Baron de Rothschild (13 April 1902 – 20 January 1988) was a member of the Rothschild banking dynasty who became a Grand Prix motor racing driver, a screenwriter and playwright, a theatrical producer, a film producer, a poet, and one ...
. A third, but less known "change", is the removal of Château Dubignon, a third growth from
Margaux
Margaux (; oc-gsc, Margaus) is a former commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Margaux-Cantenac.Château Malescot St. Exupéry.
A superficial change is that since 1855, when only five of the estates were styled with the word "château" in their name, most Bordeaux wine estates now use this nomenclature.
Critique
As a classification of châteaux, the actual vineyards owned by some
wineries
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...
have expanded, shrunk and been divided without any reclassification, and considerable plots of valued ''
terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these conte ...
'' have changed ownership. Indeed, it is a peculiarity of Bordeaux that as long as a vineyard parcel lies within the boundaries of the wine commune, it is eligible to be used by any chateau, independent of the quality of the parcel itself.
Many
wine critics
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
have argued that the 1855 Classification became outdated and does not provide an accurate guide to the quality of the wines being made on each estate. Several proposals have been made for changes to the classification, and a bid for a revision was unsuccessfully attempted in 1960.
Alexis Lichine
Alexis Lichine (December 3, 1913 – June 1, 1989) was a Russian wine writer and entrepreneur. He played a key role in promoting varietal labelling of wine, was a masterful salesman of wine, and owned Château Prieuré-Lichine and a share of Ch ...
, a member of the 1960 revision panel, launched a campaign to implement changes that lasted over thirty years, in the process publishing several editions of his own unofficial classification and the ''Alexis Lichine's Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France'', in which he devoted a chapter to the subject. In support of his argument, Lichine cited the case of Chateau Lynch-Bages, the
Pauillac
Pauillac (; oc, Paulhac) is a municipality in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The city is mid-way between Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave, along the Gironde, the largest estuary in western Europe.
Populati ...
Fifth Growth that, through good management and by patiently collecting the best parcels as they come on the market, makes wine that in his view are worthy of a much higher classification. Conversely, poor management can result in a significant decline in quality, as the example of Chateau Margaux shows—the wines it made in the 1960s and 1970s are widely regarded as far below what's expected of a First Growth. Other critics have followed a similar suit, including Robert Parker who published a top 100 Bordeaux estates in 1985 and ''L'histoire de la vigne & du vin'' ( en, The History of Wine and the Vine) by Bernard and
Henri Enjalbert Henri Enjalbert (1910 – June 19, 1983) was a French professor of geography at the University of Bordeaux. He was considered an eminent specialist in wine geology, whose expert opinion frequently overlapped into the fields of oenology, and win ...
in 1989, as well as efforts made by
Clive Coates
Clive Coates (21 October 1941 – 26 July 2022) was a British wine writer and Master of Wine, best known for his books about the wines of Burgundy.winepros.com.au.
Biography
Born in Wimbledon, London on 21 October 1941, Coates worked for T ...
David Peppercorn
David Peppercorn (born 1931) is a British Master of Wine, French wine importer and author, known for his books about the wines of Bordeaux and long experience in his field, having collected tasting notes since the late 1950s. He is married to fel ...
(MW). Ultimately nothing has come of them; the likely negative impact on prices for any downgraded châteaux and the 1855 establishment's political muscle are considered among the reasons.
In March 2009, the British wine exchange Liv-ex released The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification, a modern re-calculation of the 1855 classification, with an aim to apply the original method to the contemporary economical context.Liv-ex Fine Wine Market blog (March 10, 2009) The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification /ref>
Many of the leading estates from the Médoc appellation that were not included in the 1855 classification are classified as ''
Cru Bourgeois
The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the châteaux from the Médoc that were not included in the 1855 Classification of ''Crus Classés'', or Classed Growths. Notionally, ''Cru Bourgeois'' is a level below ''Cru Classé'', but still of ...
'', a classification system that has been updated on a regular basis since 1932, banned in 2007, but reinstated in 2010.
The Médoc Classification of 1855
In French ''Les Grands Crus classés en 1855''. The estates are listed with their commune (village), and their AOC in parenthesis, if different from the commune. The 19th-century names appear as listed by the brokers on April 18, 1855, followed by the modern names, as the use of "second cru" for red wines and "deuxième cru" for white wines.
The Red Wines of the Gironde
First Growths (Premiers Crus)
*Château Lafite, now
Château Lafite Rothschild
Château Lafite Rothschild is a French wine estate of Bordeaux wine, located in Pauillac in France, owned by members of the Rothschild family since the 19th century, and rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.
Lafite ...
, Pauillac
*
Château Latour
Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, owned by Groupe Artemis. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bord ...
, Pauillac
*
Château Margaux
Château Margaux (), archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve ''Premier cru'' (first growth) status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expens ...
, Margaux
*Haut-Brion, now
Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion () is a French wine, rated a ''Premier Grand Cru Classé'' ( First Great Growth), produced in Pessac just outside the city of Bordeaux. It differs from the other wines on the list in its geographic location in the north of ...
, Pessac, Graves
*Mouton, now
Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc region, 50 km (30 mi) north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ''Château Brane-Mouton'', its red wine was renamed by ...
, Pauillac
Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)
*Rauzan-Ségla, now
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Château Rauzan-Ségla, or Château Rausan-Ségla, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Ségla is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classifie ...
, Margaux
*Rauzan-Gassies, now
Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Rauzan-Gassies is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Gassies is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ''Deuxi ...
, Margaux
*Léoville, now
**
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Château Léoville-Las Cases is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Léoville-Las Cases is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one o ...
Château Léoville-Barton
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Nowaday ...
, St.-Julien
*Vivens Durfort, now
Château Durfort-Vivens
Château Durfort-Vivens is a winery in the Margaux Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux wine, Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classi ...
Château Lascombes
Château Lascombes is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ''Seconds Crus'' (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. ...
, Margaux
*Brane, now
Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ''Deuxièmes Crus'' (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classificat ...
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of f ...
, St.-Julien
*Cos Destournel, now
Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ''Deuxièmes Crus'' ( ...
Château Kirwan
Château Kirwan is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. ...
, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
*
Château d'Issan
Château d'Issan is a castle and winery in the Margaux Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic ...
, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
*Lagrange,
Château Lagrange
Château Lagrange is a winery in the Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, Saint-Julien Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, and is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. It is owned by the Japa ...
, St.-Julien
*Langoa, now
Château Langoa-Barton
Château Langoa-Barton (archaically named Pontet Langlois) is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Langoa-Barton is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here ...
, St.-Julien
*Giscours, now
Château Giscours
Château Giscours is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The ...
Château Cantenac-Brown
Château Cantenac Brown is a winery located in Cantenac in the Bordeaux region of France. As a wine of the Margaux appellation, it was classified as one of fourteen Third Growths (''Troisièmes Crus'') in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official C ...
, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
**
Château Boyd-Cantenac
Château Boyd-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classificatio ...
, Margaux
*Palmer, now
Château Palmer
Château Palmer is a winery in the Margaux appellation d'origine contrôlée of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Clas ...
, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
*Lalagune, now
Château La Lagune
Château La Lagune is a winery in the Haut-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification ...
Château Calon-Ségur
Château Calon-Ségur is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus Classés'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Offi ...
, St.-Estèphe
*Ferrière, now
Château Ferrière
Château Ferrière is a winery in the Margaux Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen ''Troisièmes Crus'' (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux W ...
Château Saint-Pierre
Château Saint-Pierre is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten ''Quatrièmes Crus Classés'' (Fourth Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classi ...
Château Duhart-Milon
Château Duhart-Milon, previously also Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, is a winery in the Pauillac Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes ...
, Pauillac
*Pouget-Lassale and Pouget, both now Château Pouget, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
*Carnet, now
Château La Tour Carnet
Château La Tour Carnet is a Bordeaux wine, Bordeaux wine estate in the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation Haut-Médoc AOC, Haut-Médoc. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten ''Quatrièmes Crus'' (Fourth Growths) in the ...
Château Prieuré-Lichine
Château Prieuré-Lichine, previously Château Le Prieuré and Château Prieuré-Cantenac, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Cantenac. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten ' ...
Château Batailley
Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux wine regions, Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced at the estate was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinquièmes Crus'' (Fifth ...
, Pauillac
**
Château Haut-Batailley
Château Haut-Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was part of the property that was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinquièmes Crus'' (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Off ...
, Pauillac
*Grand Puy, now
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen ...
, Pauillac
*Artigues Arnaud, now
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse is a French winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinquièmes Crus'' (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification ...
, Pauillac
*Lynch, now
Château Lynch-Bages
Château Lynch-Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lynch-Bages is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinquièmes ...
Château du Tertre
Château du Tertre, or Le Tertre, is a winery in the Margaux Appellation d'origine contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux wine, Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Arsac. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinqui ...
Château d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem () is a '' Premier Cru Supérieur'' ( Fr: "Superior First Growth") wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves. In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Ch ...
, Sauternes
First Growths (Premier Crus)
*Latour Blanche, now
Château La Tour Blanche
Château La Tour Blanche, or La Tour-Blanche, is a sweet white wine ranked as Premier Cru Classé (French, “First Growth”) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Belonging to the Sauternes appellation in Gironde, in ...
, Bommes (Sauternes)
*Peyraguey, now
**
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a Premier Cru Classé (French, “First Growth”) Sauternes wine from the Sauternes appellation. The winery is located in the southern part of France's Bordeaux wine region in the district of Graves in the com ...
Château Rieussec
Château Rieussec is a sweet white wine ranked as Premier Cru Classé (French, “First Growth”) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Belonging to the Sauternes appellation in Gironde, in the region of Graves, the ...
Château Sigalas-Rabaud
Château Sigalas-Rabaud, previously also named Château Rabaud-Sigalas, is a Bordeaux wine producer in the Sauternes (wine), Sauternes Appellation d'origine contrôlée, appellation. Its sweet white wine ranked as First Growth, Premier Cru Class ...
Classification of Graves wine
The wines of Graves in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1953 by a jury appointed by Institute National des Appellations d'Origine, and approved by the Minister of Agriculture in August of that year. The selection was revised w ...
*
Classification of Saint-Émilion wine
In 1955, the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified. Unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Médoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 y ...
*
Regional wine classification
The classification of wine is based on various criteria including place of origin or appellation, vinification method and style, sweetness and vintage,J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 752 & 753 Oxford University ...
*
History of Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine spans almost 2000 years to Roman times when the first vineyards were planted. In the Middle Ages, the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine opened the Bordeaux region to the English market and eventually to the worl ...
*
Bordeaux wine regions
The wine regions of Bordeaux are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the ...
*
Judgment of Paris
Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct uses. Aristotle ...
Notes and references
a. The only classified estate situated in Graves rather than Médoc.
b. Listed as Second Growth in 1855, elevated to First Growth in 1973.
c. Dissolved in 1960.
d. Added in 1856.
;General
*
*Echikson, Tom (2004). ''Noble rot''. NY: Norton.
*Taber, George M. (2005). ''Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Tasting that Revolutionized Wine''. NY: Scribner.
;Footnotes