First Growth (french: Premier Cru) status is a classification of
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
s primarily from the
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
region of France.
The best of the best wines were assigned the highest rank of Premier Cru; only five wines,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
are rated First Growth.
History
Bordeaux reds
The need for a classification of the best Bordeaux wines arose from the
1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The result was the
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines that were to be on display for visitors from ...
, a list of the top ranked wines, named the Grand Crus Classés (Great Classified Growths). With several thousand Chateaux producing their wines in Bordeaux, to be classified was to carry a mark of high prestige.
Within the Grand Cru Classé list, wines were further ranked and placed in one of five divisions. The best of the best wines were assigned the highest rank of Premier Cru; only four wines,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
were deemed worthy. Of all the 61 great classified wines, all but one came from the
Médoc region. The exception was the premier cru Château Haut-Brion, produced in
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 1855 list remained unchanged for over a hundred years until finally
Mouton Rothschild was promoted to Premier Cru status in 1973, after decades of relentless lobbying by its powerful owner,
Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Of lesser importance, in 1988 the premier cru Château Haut-Brion was changed in appellation from Graves to
Pessac-Leognan to represent apparent changes in soil structure caused by the urbanisation of areas surrounding Bordeaux.
Bordeaux sweet wines
Also in 1855, 21 of the best sweet wines from Bordeaux were classified as Grand Crus Classés in a separate list. In the original classification, nine wines (primarily from the
Sauternes and Barsac regions) were classed as ''Premier Cru'', while 11 were assigned the lower (though still prestigious) rank of ''Deuxième Cru'' (Second Growth). One wine (
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 ...
) was considered so great it was granted a special ''Premier Cru Supérieur'' classification.
Other classification schemes in Bordeaux
With the exception of Château Haut-Brion from Graves, the 1855 Classification did not include producers in the regions of
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 ...
,
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion (; Gascon: ''Sent Milion'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. In 2016, it had a population of 1,938.
In the heart of the country of ''Libournais'' (the area around Libourne), i ...
and
Pomerol
Pomerol (; oc, Pomairòus) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine near Bordeaux in southwestern France.
Wine
With only . Pomerol is the smallest wine producing area in the Bordeaux region. It is more a community where t ...
. For details on their own classification schemes, see their sections below.
Other classification schemes in France
Burgundy maintains its own classification scheme based on specific
appellations
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
. Although the terminology used is similar, the classification hierarchy is different and also attaches to the vineyards themselves. The most-highly rated vineyards are graded as
Grand Cru
Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The ...
, while those at the next level are classified as
Premier Cru
Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The t ...
.
First Growth wines today
Bordeaux reds
''Premier Grand Cru''
*
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 ...
Médoc (
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 ...
)
*
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 ...
Médoc (
Margaux)
*
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 ...
Médoc (Pauillac)
*
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 ...
Graves (Pessac-Leognan)
*
Château Mouton-Rothschild
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 ...
Médoc (Pauillac)
Bordeaux sweet wines
''Premier Cru Supérieur''
*
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)
''Premier Cru''
*
Château La Tour Blanche, Bommes (Sauternes)
*
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes)
*
Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes)
*
Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Bommes (Sauternes)
*
Château Suduiraut, Preignac (Sauternes)
*
Château Coutet, Barsac
*
Château Climens, Barsac
*
Château Guiraud, Sauternes
*
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 ...
, Fargues (Sauternes)
*
Château Rabaud-Promis, Bommes (Sauternes)
*
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 ...
, Bommes (Sauternes)
The communes of Bommes, Fargues and Preignac were once separate communes but now fall into the single commune of Sauternes.
The Graves classification
After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
the omission of wines of Graves from the official classification was having a negative effect on the price and desirability of wines from the region. To improve marketing the region announced in 1953 its
own classification of red wines and one white wine, with more white wines added in 1959. Sixteen wines were given special classification.
*
Château Bouscaut
Château Bouscaut is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés'' for red and dry white wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city ...
(red & white)
*
Château Carbonnieux (red & white)
*
Château Couhins (white)
*
Château Couhins-Lurton (white)
*
Domaine de Chevalier
Domaine de Chevalier is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés'' for red and white wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city o ...
(red & white)
*
Château de Fieuzal (red)
*
Château Haut-Bailly
Château Haut-Bailly is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés'' for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of Bordeaux ...
(red)
*
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 ...
(red)
*
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Château la Mission Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, classed among the ''Crus Classés'' in the Graves classification of 1953. La Mission Haut-Brion is the sister property of the First Growth Château Haut ...
(red)
*
Château La Tour Haut-Brion (red)
*
Château Latour-Martillac (red & white)
*
Château Laville Haut-Brion (white)
*
Château Malartic-Lagravière (red & white)
*
Château Olivier
Château Olivier is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés de Graves'' for red and dry white wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of ...
(red & white)
*
Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés'' for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1959. It is the oldest wine estate in Bordeaux, harvesting its 700th vintag ...
(red)
*
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the ''Crus Classés'' for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of B ...
(red)
The Saint-Émilion classification
Missing from the 1855 list, the Bordeaux region of
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion (; Gascon: ''Sent Milion'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. In 2016, it had a population of 1,938.
In the heart of the country of ''Libournais'' (the area around Libourne), i ...
offered its own classification in 1955 to improve market demand and prices. The
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 ...
differs from the 1855 list in that it is updated approximately every ten years based on new assessments of quality. For each new release of the classification, wines may be promoted or demoted within the list. A wine may even be removed entirely, while other unclassified wines may be added. In 2006, for example, eleven wines were removed from the list, six new wines added, and two existing wines promoted to a higher division.
The Saint-Émilion Classification currently labels 15 wines as First Growths. These ''Premiers Grands Crus Classés'', subdivided into two further classes : ''A'' (2 wines) and ''B'' (13 wines). A further 64 wines are currently classified as ''Grands Crus Classés''.
Premiers Grands Crus Classés A
*
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, previously ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine but does not hold this rank after the 2022 reclassification. The winery is located ...
*
Château Cheval Blanc
*
Château Angélus
Château Angélus, until 1990 known as Château L'Angélus, or simply L'Angélus, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, since 2012 ranked ''Premier grand cru classé (A)'' in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery ...
*
Château Pavie
Château Pavie is a winery in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux region of France. It lies on the plateau to the southeast of St. Emilion village. In 2012 it was classified in the first rank of the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, as a Premier G ...
Premiers Grands Crus Classés B
*
Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse)
Château Beauséjour, formerly fully titled Château Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarrosse, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked ''Premier grand cru classé B'' in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located ...
*
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, formerly Château Beauséjour-Dr-Fagouet, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked ''Premier grand cru classé B'' in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Ri ...
*
Château Bélair-Monange
*
Château Canon
*
Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
*
Château Figeac
*
Clos Fourtet
*
Château Larcis Ducasse
*
Château La Gaffelière
*
Château Magdelaine
*
Château Pavie-Macquin
*
Château Troplong Mondot
*
Château Trottevieille
Pomerol
Pomerol
Pomerol (; oc, Pomairòus) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine near Bordeaux in southwestern France.
Wine
With only . Pomerol is the smallest wine producing area in the Bordeaux region. It is more a community where t ...
has refused to create any sort of classification scheme but it has produced red wines that are among the most expensive in the world, such as
Petrus.
See also
*
French wine
French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and Amer ...
*
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 ...
*
Wine labels
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily inclu ...
*
Second wine
Second wine or second label (French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from '' cuvee'' not selected for use in the ''Grand vin'' or first label. In some cases a third wine or ev ...
References
{{wines
Bordeaux wine
Wine classification
Wine terminology