BORDEAUX CLASSIFICATIONS

There is no single comprehensive classification system that ranks Bordeaux's 57 appellations and thousands of wines. But Médoc, Sauternes and Barsac, Graves, and Saint-Emilion districts do have their own official internal classification systems.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF 1855

 For the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, the World's Fair of the day, Napoléon III requested a classification system for Bordeaux wines, France's best, which were to be on display. It was established by brokers in the wine industry who ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Red wines that made the list all came from the Médoc region with the exception of the Château Haut-Brion from Graves which was famous enough to be included. The wines were ranked descending from first to fifth growths called "crus." For white wines, only sweet whites from Sauternes and Barsac were ranked from first great growth to second growth. Within each category, châteaux are ranked in order of quality. In the more than 100 years since the 1855 classification, there has been only one change, when Château Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from a second growth to a first growth vineyard in 1973. Today, many people critique the 1855 classification for numerous reasons-some because the great châteaux of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, among others, are not included; others because châteaux ownership and vineyard holdings are always changing.

MEDOC WINE: THE OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION OF 1855

First Growths (Premiers Crus) Commune
Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Château Margaux (Margaux)
Château Latour (Pauillac)
Château Haut-Brion Pessac (Graves)
Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac)

Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus) Commune
Château Rausan-Ségla (Margaux)
Château Rauzan-Gassies (Margaux)
Château Léoville-Las Cases (Saint-Julien)
Château Léoville-Poyferré (Saint-Julien)
Château Léoville-Barton (Saint-Julien)
Château Durfort-Vivens (Margaux)
Château Gruaud-Larose (Saint-Julien)
Château Lascombes (Margaux)
Château Brane-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux)
Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron (Pauillac)
Château Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (Saint-Julien)
Château Cos d'Estournel (Saint-Estèphe)
Château Montrose (Saint-Estèphe)

Third Growths (Troisièmes Crus) Commune
Château Kirwan Cantenac (Margaux)
Château d'Issan Cantenac (Margaux)
Château Lagrange (Saint-Julien)
Château Langoa-Barton (Saint-Julien)
Château Giscours Labarde (Margaux)
Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry (Margaux)
Château Boyd-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux)
Château Cantenac-Brown Cantenac (Margaux)
Château Palmer Cantenac (Margaux)
Château La Lagune Ludon (Haut-Médoc)
Château Desmirail (Margaux)
Château Calon-Ségur (Saint-Estèphe)
Château Ferrière (Margaux)
Château Marquis d'Alesme-Becker (Margaux)

Fourth Growths (Quatrièmes Crus) Commune
Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien)
Château Talbot (Saint-Julien)
Château Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien)
Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Château Pouget Cantenac (Margaux)
Château La Tour-Carnet Saint-Laurent (Haut Médoc)
Château Lafon-Rochet (Saint-Estèphe)
Château Beychevelle (Saint-Julien)
Château Prieuré-Lichine Cantenac (Margaux)
Château Marquis-de-Terme (Margaux)

Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus) Commune
Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac)
Château Batailley (Pauillac)
Château Haut-Batailley (Pauillac)
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac)
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse (Pauillac)
Château Lynch-Bages (Pauillac)
Château Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac)
Château Dauzac Labarde (Margaux)
Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe (Pauillac)
Château du Tertre Arsac (Margaux)
Château Haut-Bages-Libéral (Pauillac)
Château Pédesclaux (Pauillac)
Château Belgrave Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc)
Château de Camensac Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc)
Château Cos-Labory (Saint-Estèphe)
Château Clerc-Milon (Pauillac)
Château Croizet-Bages (Pauillac)
Château Cantemerle Macau (Haut-Médoc)

SAUTERNES-BARSAC: THE OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION OF 1855

First Great Growth (Premier Cru Supérieur) Commune
Château d'Yquem Sauternes

First Growths (Premiers Crus) Commune
Château La Tour-Blanche (Bommes)
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Bommes)
Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Bommes)
Château de Rayne-Vigneau (Bommes)
Château Suduiraut (Preignac)
Château Coutet (Barsac)
Château Climens (Barsac)
Château Guiraud (Sauternes)
Château Rieussec (Fargues)
Château Rabaud-Promis (Bommes)
Château Sigalas-Rabaud (Bommes)

Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus) Commune
Château de Myrat (Barsac)
Château Doisy-Da�ne (Barsac)
Château Doisy-Dubroca (Barsac)
Château Doisy-Védrines (Barsac)
Château d'Arche (Sauternes)
Château Filhot (Sauternes)
Château Broustet (Barsac)
Château Nairac (Barsac)
Château Caillou (Barsac)
Château Suau (Barsac)
Château de Malle (Preignac)
Château Romer-du-Hayot (Fargues)
Château Lamothe-Despujols (Sauternes)
Château Lamothe-Guignard (Sauternes)

THE GRAVES CLASSIFICATION
The red and white wines of the Graves region were first classified in 1953, but the classification only became official with the 1959 ranking. Within each category, the châteaux are not ordered by quality.

GRAVES: 1959 OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION

Classified Red Wines of Graves Commune
Château Bouscaut (Cadaujac)
Château Haut-Bailly (Léognan)
Château Carbonnieux (Léognan)
Domaine de Chevalier (Léognan)
Château de Fieuzal (Léognan)
Château d'Olivier (Léognan)
Château Malartic-Lagravière (Léognan)
Château La Tour-Martillac (Martillac)
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Martillac)
Château Haut-Brion (Pessac)
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion (Talence)
Château Pape-Clément (Pessac)
Château Latour-Haut-Brion (Talence)

Classified White Wines of Graves Commune
Château Bouscaut (Cadaujac)
Château Carbonnieux (Léognan)
Château Domaine de Chevalier (Léognan)
Château d'Olivier (Léognan)
Château Malartic Lagravière (Léognan)
Château La Tour-Martillac (Martillac)
Château Laville-Haut-Brion (Talence)
Château Couhins-Lurton (Villenave d'Ornan)
Château Couhins (Villenave d'Ornan)
Château Haut-Brion (Pessac) (added in 1960)

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