Classification of 1855
Bordeaux to Austin
The Classification
of 1855
of 1855
In 1855, Napoleon III organized the Universal Exposition in Paris, which was a massive fair designed to show off the best products of France to the rest of the world. Before the exposition took place the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce was invited to participate and the city’s wine trade was asked to put together a list of the best wine estates. The wine brokers drew up a list and ranked the châteaux into five categories, in descending quality from “1st Growth” to “5th Growth”. In doing this, the wine trade was simply following unofficial classifications that had been in existence for centuries.
The market, even back then was very aware of the best estates and their wines. This list was really based on price and popularity and is the subject of heated debate today amongst wine experts and enophiles. This list became know as the Classification of 1855 and has only made one significant change to its list since: in 1973, after decades of Baron Philippe Rothschild petitioning government officials (mostly the Minister of Agriculture, who was recently the President of France), the Classification of 1855 changed to move his château (Mouton-Rothschild) from a 2nd Growth to a 1st Growth.
Bordeaux is one of many wine regions in France and references to some of these vineyards can be found dating back earlier than the 1500’s. Situated on the banks of the Gironde River (zhee-RAWnD), the vines, soil, and microclimate have everything to do with making great wine; the term “terroir” (pronounced tehr-WAHr) is a French word that is used to describe such conditions. There are districts, appellations, sub-appellations and communes in Bordeaux where over 9500 wineries exist today. The 2005 vintage alone produced some 950 million bottles of wine!
In a general sense the Bordeaux region is first broken down into Left Bank and Right Bank which describes a château’s location relative to the Gironde River. All of the châteaux appearing in the 1855 Classification are from the Left Bank and it’s not clear why other wineries from the Right Bank were left out because certainly there are some amazing wines from the Right Bank. Although all of the 1st Growths are from the Left Bank, the Right Bank has some remarkable wineries including Chateau Cheval Blanc and the ever-pricy and highly regarded Chateau Petrus. The Right Bank first classified their châteaux 100 years later in 1955. This classification is revised every 10 years and interestingly Château Petrus opted out, which is one of the world's most expensive and coveted wines.
A major appellation of the Left Bank is the Médoc (pronounced may-DAHK) and partially surrounding it is Haut Médoc (pronounced oh may-DAHK). Within Haut Médoc is the sub-appellation of Pauillac (pronounced poh-YAK) where three of the five First Growths are located: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, and Château Latour. Five miles or so south of Pauillac is the sub-appellation of Margaux where Château Margaux is located. And last but not least is Château Haut-Brion located further south in the sub-appellation of Pessac-Leognan (pay-SAK leh-oh-NYAHn) of the Graves (grahv) appellation.
Further south yet is the district of Sauternes/Barsac (pronounced soh-TOORn and BAHR-sak) which originally include only 12 estates but today includes 15 due to some properties being divided. Here amazing whites, often dessert wines, are produced and some that are over 150 years old, are still being enjoyed today. Amongst the most prestigious of these is Château d'Yquem (dee-KEHM) of Sauternes.
The market, even back then was very aware of the best estates and their wines. This list was really based on price and popularity and is the subject of heated debate today amongst wine experts and enophiles. This list became know as the Classification of 1855 and has only made one significant change to its list since: in 1973, after decades of Baron Philippe Rothschild petitioning government officials (mostly the Minister of Agriculture, who was recently the President of France), the Classification of 1855 changed to move his château (Mouton-Rothschild) from a 2nd Growth to a 1st Growth.
Bordeaux is one of many wine regions in France and references to some of these vineyards can be found dating back earlier than the 1500’s. Situated on the banks of the Gironde River (zhee-RAWnD), the vines, soil, and microclimate have everything to do with making great wine; the term “terroir” (pronounced tehr-WAHr) is a French word that is used to describe such conditions. There are districts, appellations, sub-appellations and communes in Bordeaux where over 9500 wineries exist today. The 2005 vintage alone produced some 950 million bottles of wine!
In a general sense the Bordeaux region is first broken down into Left Bank and Right Bank which describes a château’s location relative to the Gironde River. All of the châteaux appearing in the 1855 Classification are from the Left Bank and it’s not clear why other wineries from the Right Bank were left out because certainly there are some amazing wines from the Right Bank. Although all of the 1st Growths are from the Left Bank, the Right Bank has some remarkable wineries including Chateau Cheval Blanc and the ever-pricy and highly regarded Chateau Petrus. The Right Bank first classified their châteaux 100 years later in 1955. This classification is revised every 10 years and interestingly Château Petrus opted out, which is one of the world's most expensive and coveted wines.
A major appellation of the Left Bank is the Médoc (pronounced may-DAHK) and partially surrounding it is Haut Médoc (pronounced oh may-DAHK). Within Haut Médoc is the sub-appellation of Pauillac (pronounced poh-YAK) where three of the five First Growths are located: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, and Château Latour. Five miles or so south of Pauillac is the sub-appellation of Margaux where Château Margaux is located. And last but not least is Château Haut-Brion located further south in the sub-appellation of Pessac-Leognan (pay-SAK leh-oh-NYAHn) of the Graves (grahv) appellation.
Further south yet is the district of Sauternes/Barsac (pronounced soh-TOORn and BAHR-sak) which originally include only 12 estates but today includes 15 due to some properties being divided. Here amazing whites, often dessert wines, are produced and some that are over 150 years old, are still being enjoyed today. Amongst the most prestigious of these is Château d'Yquem (dee-KEHM) of Sauternes.
| 1855 Classification | |
| Médoc | |
| First Growth - Premier Crus |
Appellation |
| Lafite-Rothschild |
Pauillac |
| Latour | Pauillac |
| Margaux | Margaux |
| Mouton-Rothschild | Pauillac (promoted in 1973 from Second Growth) |
| Haut-Brion | Pessac Léognan, Graves (only wine in Classification not from Haut-Médoc) |
| Second Growth - Deuxième Crus | |
| Rauzan-Ségla |
Margaux |
| Rauzan-Gassies |
Margaux |
| Léoville-Las-Cases |
Saint-Julien |
| Léoville-Poyferré |
Saint-Julien |
| Léoville-Barton |
Saint-Julien |
| Durfort-Viviens |
Margaux |
| Lascombes | Margaux |
| Gruaud-Larose |
Saint-Julien |
| Brane-Cantenac | Margaux |
| Pichon-Lalande | Pauillac |
| Pichon-Longueville |
Pauillac |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou | Saint-Julien |
| Cos-d'Estournal | Saint-Estèphe |
| Montrose |
Saint-Estèphe |
| Third Growth - Troisième Crus | |
| Boyd-Cantenac |
Margaux |
| Calon-Ségur | Saint-Estèphe |
| Cantenac-Brown | Margaux |
| Desmirail | Margaux |
| Ferrière | Margaux |
| Giscours | Margaux |
| d'Issan |
Margaux |
| Kirwan | Margaux |
| Lagrange | Saint-Julien |
| La Lagune | Haut Médoc |
| Langoa-Barton | Saint -Julien |
| Malescot-Saint-Exupéry | Margaux |
| Marquis d'Alesme | Margaux |
| Palmer |
Margaux |
| Fourth Growth – Quatrième Crus | |
| Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Branaire-Ducru |
Saint-Julien |
| Duhart-Milon-Rothschild |
Pauillac |
| La Tour-Carnet |
Haut Médoc |
| Lafon-Rochet | Saint-Estèphe |
| Marquis-de-Terme | Margaux |
| Pouget |
Margaux |
| Prieuré-Lichine | Margaux |
| Saint-Pierre | Saint-Julien |
| Talbot |
Saint-Julien |
| Fifth Growth - Cinquième Crus | |
| Batailley | Pauillac |
| Belgrave | Haut Médoc |
| Camensac | Haut Médoc |
| Cantermerle | Haut Médoc |
| Clerc-Milon | Pauillac |
| Cos-Labory | Saint-Estèphe |
| Croizet-Bages |
Pauillac |
| Dauzac Labarde |
Margaux |
| Grand-Puy-Ducasse | Pauillac |
| Grand-Puy-Lacoste | Pauillac |
| Haut-Bages-Libéral |
Pauillac |
| Haut-Batailley |
Pauillac |
| Lynch-Bages |
Pauillac |
| Lynch-Moussas |
Pauillac |
| Monton d'Armailhac | Pauillac |
| Pédesclaux | Pauillac |
| Pontet-Canet |
Pauillac |
| du Tertre | Margaux |
| Sauternes/Barsac | |
| Superior First Growth - Premier Cru Supérieur | Appellation |
| d'Yquem | Sauternes |
| First Growth - Premiers Crus | |
| La Tour-Blanche | Sauternes |
| Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Sauternes |
| Clos Haut-Peyraguey | Sauternes |
| de Rayne-Vigneau | Sauternes |
| Suduiraut | Sauternes |
| Coutet |
Barsac |
| Climens | Barsac |
| Guiraud |
Sauternes |
| Rieussec | Sauternes |
| Rabaud-Promis |
Sauternes |
| Sigalas-Rabaud |
Sauternes |
| Second Growth - Deuxièmes Crus | |
| de Myrat | Barsac |
| Doisy Daene | Barsac |
| Doisy-Dubroca | Barsac |
| Doisy-Vedrines | Barsac |
| D'Arche |
Sauternes |
| Filhot | Sauternes |
| Broustet |
Barsac |
| Nairac | Barsac |
| Caillou | Barsac |
| Suau | Barsac |
| de Malle | Sauternes |
| Romer | Sauternes |
| Lamothe | Sauternes |