The 5 Bordeaux classifications
There are now five different classifications in Bordeaux. These offer a clear quality hierarchy of the different Bordeaux wines in different appellations.
Grands Crus Classés from 1855
At the World Exhibition in Paris, Napoleon III had the red wines from the Médoc (and a red wine from Graves) and the sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac classified by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The selection criteria at the time were the popularity of the crus of the individual châteaux and the prices that were charged for the Grand Vin. Since then, there have been five châteaux with Premier Cru status in the red wine sector, 14 Deuxièmes Crus, 14 Troisièmes Crus, 10 Quatrièmes Crus and 18 Cinquièmes Crus. For sweet wines, there is one Premier Cru Supérieur, 11 Premiers Crus and 15 Deuxièmes Crus. The classification has remained in place to this day. There has only been one revision. In 1973, Château Mouton Rothschild was upgraded from Deuxième status to Premier Grand Cru Classé.
Graves classification
At the end of the 1940s, the association for the defense of the Graves designation of origin turned to the INAO and asked for a classification of the wines from the appellation. In 1953, the INAO carried out this classification. There is no hierarchy here, however. A château is simply awarded Cru Classé status. The number is limited to 16, all of which are in the Pessac-Léognan AOP, although the châteaux do not automatically retain this status permanently. This has been reassessed and published every September since 2010. In 2012, a new procedure was introduced for this, which has been under the full supervision of the INAO since then. Fun fact: Château Haut-Brion is the only Bordeaux winery to be classified twice. Namely as a Cru Classé in Graves and in the Grands Crus Classés of 1855.
Premiers Grands Crus Classés of Saint-Émilion
As early as the 1930s, the Saint-Émilion wineries on the Left Bank were pushing for their own classification system. The INAO approved this in 1954. It came into force a year later. And it differs greatly from the classification from 1855 in some respects. Firstly, there was a separate appellation, the AOP Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Secondly, the INAO not only rates the châteaux and their Grands Vins, but also the vineyards. If these change significantly, a downgrade can occur. This is because the châteaux have to reapply for the classification every ten years. The number is not set in stone either. In addition, the Premier Grand Cru Classé status is still divided into A and B. After various rule changes, there was a scandal in 2022 when the three Premier Grand Crus Classé A Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Château Angélus no longer applied. The resulting damage to the classification's image cannot yet be foreseen.
Crus Bourgeois du Médoc
In 1932, the Bordeaux wine commissioners, under the auspices of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture, drew up a list of red wines from the eight Médoc appellations. This list included the best wines from the châteaux in Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. Every year, the quality of the wines is checked to see whether they are in the Alliance des Cru Bourgeois. As a rule, between 240 and 260 châteaux are part of this alliance and are then allowed to write Cru Bourgeois on their labels. Currently, this is just over 40% of all Médoc wineries.
Crus Artisans
In the past, it was mainly craftsmen who also made wine who were referred to as artisans. This term was used again in 1989 with the establishment of Crus Artisans - in the Médoc. Only small to medium-sized self-marketers were allowed to apply. In addition, these wines may only come from the eight AOPs Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. The quality and value of the wines are assessed. The status is reviewed every five years. Currently, 36 châteaux have Crus Artisans status. Since 1994, thanks to a European Union regulation, producers have also been allowed to print Cru Artisan on the label.