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Bordeaux Wine Official Classification Of 1855




The wines were ranked in importance from First to fifth growths (crus). All of the red wines that made it on the list came from the Médoc region except for the Château Haut-Brion from Graves . The white wines, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from first great growth to second growth.

Within each category, the various châteaux are ranked in order of quality and only once since the 1855 classification has there been a change, when in 1973 , Château Mouton Rothschild was elevated from a second growth to a first growth Vineyard after decades of intense lobbying by the powerful Philippe De Rothschild .

Interestingly, since it is a classification of Châteaux, the actual vineyards owned by some Wineries have expanded and shrunk without any reclassification. Because of this, the government proposed revising the classification in 1961 and deleting 17 producers. However, the negative impact on prices that would be received by the affected châteaux led to strong political pressures and the government backed down.

Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. argues that the classification has long created an injustice to consumers because it has caused mediocre wines to be sold for too much and good wine to be sold for too little. He says that the archaic classification "Should be regarded by both the wine connoiseur and the novice as informational items of historical significance only." Determining an up-to-date classification is a favorite parlor game, especially among French Wine enthusiasts.


THE 1855 LIST



The Medoc Classification of 1855

(Le Grande Cru Classe en 1855)


First Growths (Premiers or 1er Crus)


  • Château Lafite-Rothschild , Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Medoc (''archaically known as Chateau de la Fite, Laffite, Lafitte'')

  • Château Latour , Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Medoc (''archaically known as La Tour de Segur'')

  • Château Margaux , Commune de Margaux (''archaically known as Chateau Margau'')

  • Château Haut-Brion , Commune de Pessac, Graves (''archaically known as Chateau Hautbrion, Houtbrion, Ho-Bryan, Obryan, Ho Bryen'')

  • Château Mouton-Rothschild , Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Medoc
    (reclassified from Second Growth status in 1973) (''archaically known as Chateau Branne-Mouton'')



Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)




Third Growths (Troisièmes Crus)




Fourth Growths (Quatrièmes Crus)




Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus)




SAUTERNES AND BARSAC



Great First Growth (Grand Premier Cru)


Château D'Yquem , Sauternes


First Growths (Premiers Crus)


Château La Tour Blanche , Bommes (Sauternes)


Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey , Bommes (Sauternes)


Clos Haut-Peyraguey , Bommes (Sauternes) (''' Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey ''')


Château De Rayne-Vigneau , Bommes (Sauternes)


Château Suduiraut , Preignac (Sauternes)


Château Coutet , Barsac


Château Climens , Barsac


Château Guiraud , Sauternes


Château Rieussec , Fargues (Sauternes)


Château Rabaud-Promis , Bommes (Sauternes)


Château Sigalas-Rabaud , Bommes (Sauternes)


Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)


Château Myrat , Barsac (''' Château De Myrat ''')


Château Doisy Daene , Barsac


Château Doisy-Dubroca , Barsac


Château Doisy-Vedrines , Barsac


Château D'Arche , Sauternes


Château Filhot , Sauternes


Château Broustet Barsac


Château Nairac , Barsac


Château Caillou , Barsac


Château Suau , Barsac


Château De Malle , Preignac (Sauternes)


Château Romer , Fargues (Sauternes) (''' Château Romer Du Hayot ''')


Château Lamothe , Sauternes


TRIVIA

  • The ''appellation'' system of the Douro region of Portugal was established nearly 200 hundreed years before that of France.

  • Château D'Yquem sued unsuccessfully to reverse the reclassification of Château Mouton Rothschild from second to first growth status.



SEE ALSO



SOURCE

  • Echikson, Tom. ''Noble rot''. NY: Norton, 2004.

  • Taber, George M. ''Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Tasting that Revolutionized Wine''. NY: Scribner, 2005.