Bordeaux classifications: Which category does each château belong to?

La place in Bordeaux

There are several classifications in the Bordeaux region. The most famous of them all will undoubtedly be the 1855 classification but there are also classifications for Graves and Saint-Emilion grand crus. Let’s delve into the world of Bordeaux classifications together!

The 1855 classification of wines from Médoc and Graves

On the occasion of the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855, Napoléon III asked the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce to classify its wines. Bordeaux courtiers listed properties on the criteria such as reputation, the beauty of the château and the sales price of their wine.

The classification exclusively included wines from the left bank of the Garonne river – essentially Médoc and Sauternes with one Pessac-Léognan – and no wine from the right bank, which fell under Libourne at the time.

Red wine classification

The red wine classification is divided into five categories. The properties all happen to be located in Médoc, except for one that is situated in Graves – Château Haut-Brion.

Premier Crus (5)
Château Margaux, Margaux   
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 
Château Latour, Pauillac    
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (went from deuxième cru to premier cru in 1973)  
Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (Graves until 1986)
Deuxième Crus (14)  Troisième Crus (14)
Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux     Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc
Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux         Château Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux
Château Lascombes, Margaux                Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux
Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux      Château Desmirail, Margaux
Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux           Château Ferrière, Margaux
Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac Château Giscours, Margaux
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, PauillacChâteau d’Issan, Margaux
Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-EstèpheChâteau Kirwan, Margaux
Château Montrose, Saint-EstèpheChâteau Malescot St. Exupéry, Margaux
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-JulienChâteau Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux
Château Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien  Château Palmer, Margaux
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien  Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe
Château Léoville Las Cases, Saint-Julien           Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien
Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien              Château Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien
Quatrième Crus (10)Cinquième Crus (18)
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc
Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux  Château Camensac, Haut-Médoc
Château Pouget, Margaux Château Cantemerle,  Haut-Médoc
Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux        Château Dauzac, Margaux
Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac             Château du Tertre, Margaux
Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac
Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien        Château Batailley, Pauillac
Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien        Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac
Château Talbot, Saint-Julien    Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac
Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac
Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Château Cos Labory, Saint-Estèphe

Only two changes have ever been made to this classification:

  • Château Cantemerle became a cinquième cru in September 1855
  • Château Mouton-Rothschild moved up from being a deuxième cru to a premier cru in June 1973

Alongside these changes, some châteaux have changed the spelling of their names (Château Beychevelle as we know it today was spelt Beychevele originally) or their names entirely over time (Château Lafon-Rochet was originally Château Rochet for example).

Certain events also added properties to the list. When it was first drawn up, there were only 57 and now there are 61. This can be attributed to the fact that Château Léoville was split into three properties (Léoville Barton, Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Poyferré), while Château Pichon Longueville was divided into two (Comtesse and Baron).

White wine classification (sweet)

The white wine classification is entirely constructed of sweet wines from the  Barsac and Sauternes appellation. It is divided into three categories: premier cru supérieur (1), premiers crus (11), deuxièmes crus (15).

Premier Cru Supérieur (1)           Deuxième Crus (15)
Château d’Yquem, Sauternes  Château Broustet, Barsac
Premier Crus (11)           Château Caillou, Barsac
Château Climens, BarsacChâteau Doisy Daëne, Barsac
Château Coutet, Barsac Château Doisy-Dubroca, Barsac
Château Rabaud-Promis, SauternesChâteau d’Arche, Sauternes
Château Guiraud, SauternesChâteau Doisy-Védrines, Barsac
Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Sauternes Château de Myrat, Sauternes
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes  Château Nairac, Barsac
Château La Tour Blanche, Sauternes   Château Suau, Barsac
Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Sauternes               Château Filhot, Sauternes
Château Rieussec, SauternesChâteau Lamothe, Sauternes
Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Sauternes    Château Lamothe Guignard, Sauternes
Château Suduiraut, Sauternes Château de Malle, Sauternes
Château Romer, Sauternes
Château Romer du Hayot, Sauternes

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru classification

This classification managed by the National Institute of Designations of Origin (Institut national des appellations d’origines (INAO)) has existed since 1955 following a request of the syndicate defending the Saint-Emilion grand cru appellation. Revised every 10 years, it’s the only one of Bordeaux’s classifications that perpetually evolves.

Since its creation, seven versions have been published with the latest one being released in 2022. It also marked the introduction of a new procedure which was not to everyone’s taste as Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc, followed by Château Angélus and Château La Gaffelière (classé B) decided not to put their wine up contention and leave the classification.

The 2022 list contained 85 grand crus classé, of which two are premier grand crus classé A and 12 are premier grand crus classé B.

Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (2)

Château Figeac

Château Pavie

Premier Grands Cru Classé B (12)

Château Beau-Sejour Becot, Château Beausejour Heritiers Duffau Lagarrosse, Château Belair Monange, Château Canon, Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Pavie Macquin, Château Troplong Mondot, Château Trottevieille, Château Valandraud, Clos Fourtet, La Mondotte

Grand Cru Classé

Château Badette, Château Balestard La Tonnelle, Château Barde-Haut, Château Bellefont-Belcier, Château Bellevue, Château Berliquet, Château Boutisse, Château Cadet-Bon, Château Cap de Mourlin, Château Chauvin, Château Clos de Sarpe, Château Corbin, Château Corbin Michotte, Château Cote de Baleau, Château Croix de Labrie, Château Dassault, Château de Ferrand, Château de Pressac, Château Destieux, Château Faugeres, Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Fombrauge, Château Fonplegade, Château Fonroque, Château Franc Mayne, Château Grand Corbin, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne, Château Grand Mayne, Château Guadet, Château Haut-Sarpe, Château Jean Faure, Château La Commanderie, Château La Confession, Château La Couspaude, Château La Croizille, Château La Dominique, Château La Fleur Morange, Château La Marzelle, Château La Serre, Château La Tour Figeac, Château Laniote, Château Larmande, Château Laroque, Château Laroze, Château Le Chatelet, Château Le Prieure, Château Mangot, Château Monbousquet, Château Montlabert, Château Montlisse, Château Moulin Du Cadet, Château Peby Faugeres, Château Petit Faurie de Soutard, Château Ripeau, Château Rochebelle, Château Rol Valentin, Château Saint-Georges (Cote Pavie), Château Sansonnet, Château Soutard, Château Tour Baladoz, Château Tour Saint Christophe, Château Villemaurine, Château Yon-Figeac, Clos Badon Thunevin, Clos de L’oratoire, Clos des Jacobins, Clos Dubreuil, Clos Saint-Julien, Clos Saint-Martin, Couvent des Jacobins, Lassegue

 The Graves classification

Only Haut-Biron and Sauternes wines feature in the 1855 classification so the region of Graves decided to create its own classification to rectify this. Drawn up in 1953 and revised by the INAO in 1959, it lists 16 grand cru classé bringing together red and white wines.

Château Bouscaut Red and white
Château Carbonnieux  Red and white
Domaine de Chevalier Red and white
Château Latour-Martillac Red and white
Château Malartic-LagravièreRed and white
Château OlivierRed and white
Château Smith Haut LafitteRed
Château Couhins White
Château Couhins-LurtonWhite
Château Laville Haut-Brion White
Château de FieuzalRed
Château Haut-BaillyRed
Château Haut-BrionRed
Château La Mission Haut-BrionRed
Château Pape Clément Red
Château la Tour Haut-BrionRed

The official Crus Bourgeois selection

Having first been mentioned in the 17th century, Crus Bourgeois wines gained their first classification in 1932, although it wasn’t entered in the records at the time. They had to wait until 1962 for a syndicate to created which could then officiate the classification and 2000 for it to be officially regulated. A few more complications followed before a “qualitative selection of Crus Bourgeois” were listed in 2009. Each year, a new selection is released in September.

In 2020, 249 châteaux were listed, split into three categories: Crus Bourgeois, Crus Bourgeois Supérieur and Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

On the iDealwine website, you can find eight of the 14 Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel: Château Belle-Vue, Château Charmail, Château Malescasse, Château du Taillan, Château Lestage, Château Le Crock and Château Lilian Ladouys.

So there you have it, all of Bordeaux’s classifications and it goes without saying, but you can find many of these châteaux’s wines on iDealwine’s En Primeur website every spring.

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