Bordeaux classification

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The port city of Bordeaux has been shaped by trade since Roman times . The differences in quality of the wines traded there were reflected in their price centuries ago. First of all, the following rule applies to Bordeaux wines : the smaller and narrower the appellation , the higher the quality of the wines and, accordingly, their price.

example

The Médoc is a larger area (a peninsula ) in the Bordelais (Bordeaux region). It stretches on the left bank (Rive gauche) of the Gironde from Bordeaux to Saint-Vivien-de-Médoc . All wine produced there may be marketed under the Médoc appellation. This is around 300,000 hectoliters of high quality wine every year . The southern part of the Médoc has higher quality locations . Therefore, these wines are usually offered under the Haut-Médoc appellation (around 250,000 hectoliters per year). The wines of the famous wine-growing communities of Pauillac , Saint-Estèphe , Saint-Julien , Listrac , Moulis and Margaux within the Haut-Médoc have their own (communal) appellation due to their recognized higher quality.

The 1855 classification of the Médoc-Châteaux

Three of the five first wines of the Médoc, the Premier Crus , belong to the AOC Pauillac area

The term château describes a winery . In 1855, for the World Exhibition in Paris, a classification ( Grand Cru Classé ) was made for the then known, more expensive châteaux in the Médoc. The benchmark was essentially the market price achieved over the past 100 years for the wine produced by the respective winery.

This classification has only changed once since then, when Château Mouton-Rothschild rose from Deuxième to Premier Cru in 1973. The relevant decree was signed by then Agriculture Minister Jacques Chirac .

A Château in the Médoc is therefore assigned to either the Grand Cru Classé or the Cru Bourgeois group . Changes are only possible when selling a winery. Since the classification is linked to ownership, a Cru-Bourgeois vineyard acquired from a Cru-Classé winery can be classé and vice versa.

List of châteaux according to the 1855 classification

The classification today includes 61 wineries in the Médoc and 27 in the Sautern region. The municipality and appellation in brackets .

Premiers Crus

Deuxièmes Crus

Troisièmes Crus

Quatrièmes Crus

Cinquièmes Crus

Second wines

The second wines of the great châteaux do not enjoy cru-classé status and are much cheaper. Examples:

Sauternes and Barsac

The noble sweet white wines from the communities of Sauternes and Barsac were also classified in 1855 .

Premier Cru Supérieur

This class is reserved for the Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) alone.

Premier Cru Classé

Deuxième Cru Classé

Graves

A single-level classification was created for the Graves area in 1953 and 1959, which differentiates between red and white wines. All classified châteaux are in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, which extends into the southern suburbs of Bordeaux .

Classification of the Graves region

Classified for red and white wine:

Classified only for red wine:

Classified only for white wine:

Saint-Emilion

The wines of Saint-Émilion were first classified in 1954. All classified goods belong to the AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation . There are two classes: Premier Grand Cru Classé (with two sub-classes A and B) and Grand Cru Classé .

This classification is checked regularly. So far this has happened in 1969, 1986, 1996 and 2006 and is to take place every ten years in the future. The rule here is that the goods must apply for classification. In contrast to the Médoc, it is also tied to the vineyards themselves. For example, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot was revoked its premier status in 1986 for ten years after the winery had expanded its vineyard area by purchasing lots.

The following is the 2006 classification. The climbers compared to 1996 are marked with *. This 2006 classification was suspended on March 30, 2007 by administrative act. It finally came into force in November 2007 by government decree.

Premiers Grands Crus Classés (A) are

Premiers Grands Crus Classés (B) currently comprise 13 châteaux:

Grands Crus Classés currently comprise 47 châteaux:

In 2006, compared to 1996, the Châteaux Bellevue , Cadet-Bon , Faurie de Souchard , Guadet Saint-Julien , La Marzelle , Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard , Tertre Daugay , both La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Giraud-Belivier and Moueix) were outclassed , Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac .

In addition, Château La Clusière became part of Château Pavie, and Château Curé Bon La Madeleine is now part of Château Canon. Château l'Arosée has been part of the Clarence Dillon group of companies since 2013 (also owner of the Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion estates ) and is sold under the name of Château Quintus.

Pomerol

A classification for Pomerol does not exist to this day; In formal terms, all wineries in Pomerol are "equally good". However, there are some châteaux that are unofficially considered Cru Classés. The dominant position of Château Pétrus and the only slightly inferior position of Chateau Lafleur are generally recognized . Members of the Union des Grands Crus are Châteaux Beauregard , Clinet , Gazin, L'Évangile , La Cabanne, La Conseillante , La Croix de Gay, La Pointe, Petit Village, Vieux-Château Certan and Le Pin . The members of the “ Moueix family” Château Trotanoy , Latour à Pomerol , Lafleur-Pétrus, Lafleur-Gazin and Hosanna are not part of it, despite their comparable quality.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Denis Saverot: L'absurdité d'une décision . In: La Revue du Vin de France . No. 511, May 2007, ISSN  1634-7625 , p. 3
  2. ↑ Press release of the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion (French) ( Memento of October 31, 2008 in the Internet Archive )

See also

Web links