The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor

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 neph ...

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. No ...

's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality. The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths ('' crus''). All of the

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 gr ...

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) Medu ...

region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves. 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 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. Vineyard ...

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, ...

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 contex ...

'' 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 wine ...

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 Th ...

( MW) and David Peppercorn (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'', 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, Pauillac * Château Margaux, Margaux *Haut-Brion, now Château Haut-Brion, Pessac, Graves *Mouton, now Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac

Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)

*Rauzan-Ségla, now Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux *Rauzan-Gassies, now Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux *Léoville, now ** Château Léoville-Las Cases, St.-Julien ** Château Léoville-Poyferré, St.-Julien ** Château Léoville-Barton, St.-Julien *Vivens Durfort, now Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux *Gruaud-Laroze, now Château Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien *Lascombes, now Château Lascombes, Margaux *Brane, now Château Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) *Pichon Longueville, now **

Château Pichon Longueville Baron Château Pichon Longueville Baron or Château Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville (commonly referred to as Pichon Baron) is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Baron is also ...

, Pauillac (commonly known as ''Pichon Baron'') **

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (commonly referred to as Pichon Lalande or Pichon Comtesse) is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is also the na ...

, Pauillac (commonly known as ''Pichon Lalande'' or ''Pichon Comtesse'') *Ducru Beau Caillou, now Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 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'' ...

, St.-Estèphe *Montrose, now Château Montrose, St.-Estèphe

Third Growths (Troisièmes Crus)

*Kirwan, now Château Kirwan, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) * Château d'Issan, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) *Lagrange, Château Lagrange, 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, Labarde-Margaux (Margaux) *St.-Exupéry, now Château Malescot St. Exupéry, Margaux *Boyd, now **

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, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) *Lalagune, now Château La Lagune, Ludon (Haut-Medoc) *Desmirail, now Château Desmirail, Margaux *Dubignon, later Château Dubignon, Margaux *Calon, now

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 Of ...

, St.-Estèphe *Ferrière, now Château Ferrière, Margaux *Becker, now Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker, Margaux

Fourth Growths (Quatrièmes Crus)

*St.-Pierre, now Château Saint-Pierre, St.-Julien *Talbot, now Château Talbot, St.-Julien *Du-Luc, now Château Branaire-Ducru, St.-Julien *Duhart, now

Château Duhart-Milon Château Duhart-Milon, previously also Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus Classés (Fourth Growths) in ...

, Pauillac *Pouget-Lassale and Pouget, both now Château Pouget, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) *Carnet, now Château La Tour Carnet, St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) *Rochet, now Château Lafon-Rochet, St.-Estèphe *Château de Beychevele, now Château Beychevelle, St.-Julien *Le Prieuré, now Château Prieuré-Lichine, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux) *Marquis de Thermes, now Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux

Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus)

*Canet, now Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac *Batailley, now **

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 O ...

, 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 eightee ...

, 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 Classificatio ...

, 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 ''Cinquième ...

, Pauillac *Lynch Moussas, now Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac *Dauzac, now Château Dauzac, Labarde (Margaux) *Darmailhac, now

Château d'Armailhac Château d'Armailhac, previously named Château Mouton-d'Armailhacq (historical name from inception, 1750–1955), Château Mouton-Baron Philippe, Mouton Baronne and Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe (1979–1988), is a winery in the Pauillac appe ...

, Pauillac *Le Tertre, now Château du Tertre, Arsac (Margaux) *Haut Bages, now Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pauillac *Pédesclaux, now Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac *Coutenceau, now Château Belgrave, St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) *Camensac, now Château de Camensac, St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) *Cos Labory, now Château Cos Labory, St.-Estèphe *Clerc Milon, now Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac *Croizet-Bages, now Château Croizet Bages, Pauillac *Cantemerle, now Château Cantemerle, Macau (Haut-Médoc)

The White Wines of the Gironde

arsac estates may be labelled with the appellation Barsac or Sauternes.

Superior First Growth (Premier Cru Supérieur)

*Yquem, now Château d'Yquem, Sauternes

First Growths (Premier Crus)

*Latour Blanche, now Château La Tour Blanche, Bommes (Sauternes) *Peyraguey, now ** Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes) ** Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes) *Vigneau, now Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Bommes (Sauternes) *Suduiraut, now Château Suduiraut, Preignac (Sauternes) *Coutet, now Château Coutet, Barsac *Climens, now Château Climens, Barsac *Bayle, now Château Guiraud, Sauternes *Rieusec, now

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) *Rabeaud, now ** Château Rabaud-Promis, Bommes (Sauternes) ** Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Bommes (Sauternes)

Second Growths (Deuxième Crus)

*Mìrat, now Château de Myrat, Barsac *Doisy, now ** Château Doisy Daëne, Barsac ** Château Doisy-Dubroca, Barsac ** Château Doisy-Védrines, Barsac *Pexoto, now part of Château Rabaud-Promis *D’arche, now Château d'Arche, Sauternes *Filhot, now

Château Filhot Château Filhot, archaically named Maison Noble de Verdoulet, is a winery rated ''Deuxième cru classé'' (French, “Second Growth”) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, from the Sauternes appellation in Gironde. Considered ...

, Sauternes *Broustet Nérac, now ** Château Broustet, Barsac ** Château Nairac, Barsac *Caillou, now Château Caillou, Barsac *Suau, now Château Suau, Barsac *Malle, now

Château de Malle Château de Malle is a sweet white wine ranked as Second Cru Classé (French, "Second Growth") in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Belonging to the Sauternes (wine), Sauternes Appellation d'origine contrôlée, appellati ...

, Preignac (Sauternes) *Romer, now ** Château Romer, Fargues (Sauternes) ** Château Romer du Hayot, Fargues (Sauternes) *Lamothe, now ** Château Lamothe, Sauternes ** Château Lamothe-Guignard, Sauternes

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

External links

Great Growths of 1855 official site
{{Bordeaux-1855 Appellations Bordeaux wine 1855 establishments in France Wine classification Alcohol law in France