Understanding the Bordeaux classification system

Navigating the world of Bordeaux fine wine can be a steep learning curve. Unlike the regions of Mendoza and Napa, grape variety names are seldom mentioned on the label, so a useful buying cue is denied to the consumer.

Fortunately, one of the key reference points for buying Bordeaux is relatively straightforward. The region is defined by structure and hierarchy; the first major ranking of Bordeaux’s top chateaux was unveiled in the 19th century. Several other landmark classifications were subsequently introduced in the 1900s, designed to help buyers separate the wheat from the chaff. There are five key regions in Bordeaux that produce the finest and most celebrated wine: Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes, and Pomerol. Thus far, only Pomerol has resisted the urge to undertake a formal ranking of its wine estates.

Yet Bordeaux’s classification frameworks are not homogeneous. The legendary 1855 ranking is intransigent and largely impervious to calls for promotions/demotions. The approach in Saint-Émilion is far more democratic; the region’s four-tier hierarchy is required to be updated every decade. Indeed, chateaux cannot be complacent, as several demotions famously occurred in 2012.

Of course, some would argue that the importance of top-to-bottom classifications has waned in the 21st century. Consumers now source recommendations from a wide variety of sources; social media hype and a friend’s rave review may carry a lot more weight than the 1855 ranking. Nevertheless, many collectors still make their buying decisions at least partially based on this time-honoured system. Bordeaux’s predisposition towards hierarchy has long been subject to criticism, but the classifications are far from irrelevant.

1855 classification

The 1855 classification of Bordeaux’s top wine estates was a seminal moment for France. It has become a wonderful PR tool for the Bordeaux region, although the ranking is not without its inherent flaws. The main criteria for assessment was price, rather than intrinsic wine quality. Therefore this intransigent classification arguably penalises chateau that have upped their game considerably since the 19th century. Indeed, it is not uncommon for estates to change hands; new owners may improve the quality of a previously ailing property, while complacency and inertia can sometimes set in. Due to a massive investment in time and resources from its owners, Chateau Ponet-Canet is now producing some of the finest red wine in Bordeaux. Yet its official ranking is just Fifth Growth, the lowest grade awarded in 1855.

Since the mid-1700s, the area’s merchants had been devising stratified rankings of Bordeaux’s leading chateaux, used as a marketing device. However, the 1855 hierarchy was the first one to be officially sanctioned, presented to consumers as the final word in chateaux quality.

The impetus for presenting the ranking as a definitive guide was the Paris Exhibition of 1855. Bordeaux’s Chamber of Commerce decided that visitors would be impressed by the unveiling of a rigid framework, rather than a work in progress. The brokers of Bordeaux—professionals who acted as middlemen between owners and merchants—were instructed to cement the merchants’ previous endeavours in stone.

A total of 61 chateaux were classified as First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Growths. Their focus was overwhelmingly the Médoc region, although Chateau Haut-Brion was included from Pessac-Léognan. Today, it remains the only First Growth property situated outside of the Médoc, included in 1855 because of the widespread reverence towards its wines.

Interestingly, a French court once ruled that the 1855 classification is not immutable and could be subject to revision. But due to myriad vested commercial interests in maintaining the strict delineation, this is unlikely to ever happen. Save the promotion of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild to First Growth in 1973, no owner has ever successfully challenged their status. But the 1855 classification’s influence on pricing—and perception—is far from absolute. Fifth Growth Lynch Bages is regarded as the equal of many Second Growth chateaux. A globalised marketplace will always make up its own mind.

Graves classification

Graves has been a centre of viticulture since medieval times. Located just six miles south of Bordeaux city, the region’s gravel-rich terroir is ideal for ripening both red and white grape varieties. Indeed, barrels of delicious Graves wine have been exported since the early 1300s, following the creation of Chateau Pape Clement by Pope V of Avignon. In comparison, the Médoc region didn’t become commercially important until the 18th century.

However, the Médoc’s 1855 classification predates the Graves equivalent by over 80 years. After Graves was awarded its own appellation in 1930, the brokers of Bordeaux decided to introduce an official classification from a list of 130 wine estates. The results were initially unveiled in 1953, subsequently revised and finalised in 1959. Since that time, there have been no promotions/demotions involving the 16 lucky chateaux. Every property selected was located in the northern section of the Graves zone, eventually awarded its own distinct appellation, Pessac-Léognan, in 1987.

The classification does not contain a stratified element; a property is either a Cru Classe (classified) estate, or it isn’t. Moreover, it is the only official classification of Bordeaux’s dry white wines, as many chateaux in Pessac-Léognan cultivate white grapes. Curiously, some chateaux were awarded classified status for their red wines but not their whites, or vice versa. From the 16 eligible properties, a total of eight classified whites and 13 classified reds are listed.

Saint-Émilion classification

First introduced in 1955, Saint-Émilion’s classification divides chateaux into four tiers: Premier Cru Classe A, Premier Cru Classe B, Cru Classe and Grand Cru. It is arguably Bordeaux’s most democratic and successful model, undergoing a revision every decade. Promotions and demotions have been a part of life in the Saint-Émilion wine region since the mid-20th century, and this is unlikely to ever change. In 2006, four chateaux lost their Grand Cru Classe status, including Tour du Pin Figeac and La Marzelle. Many others have been promoted, in sharp contrast to the intransigence of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

The criteria for classification is unique in Bordeaux. It naturally includes the quality of the wine and terroir but also reviews factors like a chateau’s “fame and the means implemented to develop it” via press coverage and social media posts. This last category has attracted criticism from some quarters, particularly from owners who believe that such considerations are trivial.

Nevertheless, the existence of the classification has been a significant force for good overall. Over the years, it has encouraged underperforming chateaux to improve their game due to the very real threat of demotion. As a result, there are now very few classified properties making indifferent wine.

Cru Bourgeois classification

The term ‘cru bourgeois’ has been used since the 19th century, employed by writers to indicate the quality and superior status of certain Médoc chateaux that were not included in the 1855 ranking. In 1932, Bordeaux’s Chamber of Commerce unveiled a list of 444 wineries, including 99 cru bourgeois supérieurs and six (later expanded to 18) supérieurs exceptionnels. Estates from a wide range of Médoc appellations were classified, including Saint-Estèphe, Margaux, Haut-Médoc and Listrac.

Yet it never received any official recognition and was abused considerably towards the end of the 20th century. Some properties referenced the term ‘cru bourgeois’ without permission, while others used the label for their second wines (this practice was forbidden). After a prolonged series of debates, it was finally decided to revise the ranking in 2000. A panel of experts tasted their way through hundreds of wines, finally revealing their deliberations in June 2003. Over 150 properties lost their right to call themselves cru bourgeois, although 145 retained this status. In addition, 66 chateaux were awarded the cru bourgeois supérieurs accolade, while nine were bestowed the highest rank of exceptionnels.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of the proceedings. Several owners who had been excluded took legal action, claiming that the jury was not competent or objective in their findings. A senior court of appeals judge concurred, and the ranking was annulled in 2007. However, the category was reintroduced in 2010 and updated in 2020. To qualify, the property must satisfy an independent jury that their wines are worthy of inclusion. As it stands today, there are 179 crus bourgeois, 56 crus bourgeois supérieurs and 14 crus bourgeois exceptionnels. It is currently restricted to the Médoc region.

Cru Artisan classification

In 1989, a group of chateaux proprietors and other stakeholders decided to formalise a long-standing tradition. Since the 19th century, the term ‘cru artisan’ has been used in deference to small wine estates owned by Bordeaux tradespeople such as blacksmiths, coopers and carpenters. The newly-formed Syndicat des Crus Artisans du Médoc represented small chateaux of modest means, which were nevertheless producing good wine. Excluded from both the 1855 classification and cru bourgeois framework, the Syndicat desired to market a point of difference. After years of campaigning, referencing ‘cru artisan’ on labels was officially recognised by the European Union and the French government in 1994.

Thereafter, the classification fell into decline and obscurity. It was re-launched in 2018, with the similar objective of awarding recognition to businesses that lacked the cachet of Bordeaux’s famous names. Today 36 estates are entitled to use the term, although this is reviewed every five years. Current members include Chateau Pey Mallet in the Haut-Médoc and Chateau Dacher de Delmonte in Listrac. If a property wishes to be considered for inclusion, it must submit to an inspection and blind tasting by a jury of brokers, merchants and oenologists. Maintaining the integrity of the cru artisan rank is of paramount importance to its members.