First growth

From EncycloWine

Bottles of the five First Growths of the Médoc
Bottles of the five First Growths of the Médoc

First growth (French premier cru) status refers to a classification of wines of the Bordeaux region.

According to the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, which was based on wine prices, only four red wines were assigned the status of premier cru, three from Médoc (Latour, Lafite Rothschild, and Margaux) and one from Graves (Haut-Brion). Mouton Rothschild was promoted to first growth status in 1973, after decades of relentless lobbying by its powerful owner. In the original classification, eleven of the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac were classed as premier cru, and one (Château d'Yquem) was granted a special premier cru supérieur (great first growth) classification.

With the exception of Château Haut-Brion from Graves, the 1855 Classification did not include producers in the regions of Graves, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. For details on their own classification schemes, see their sections below.

In addition, Burgundy maintains its own classification scheme based on specific appellations.

Contents

Médoc

In the 1855 classification, three wines were assigned the status premiers crus.

Another château, Château Mouton Rothschild, also from the commune of Pauillac, was elevated to the status of premier cru in 1973 and remains the only change to the original list.

In addition to the five premiers crus there are 12 deuxièmes crus (second growths), 14 troisièmes crus (third growths), 11 quatrièmes crus (fourth growths), and 17 cinquièmes crus (fifth growths).

Sauternes

The sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac were classified in the original 1855 scheme, and have thus remained unchanged ever since. In addition to the 12 premiers crus, it assigned a further 14 wines the label deuxiemes cru (second growth). The first growths are listed here with the commune (village) into which they fell in 1855.

Premier cru supérieur

Premier cru

The communes of Bommes, Fargues and Preignac now fall into the single commune of Sauternes.

Graves

Only a single producer from Graves and Pessac-Léognan was included in the classification of 1855, and was assigned the status of premier cru:

After World War II the omission of wines of Graves from the official classification was having a negative effect on the price and desirability of wines from the region. To improve marketing the region announced in 1953 its own classification of red wines, with white wines being added in 1959. Sixteen wines were given special classification.

Saint-Emilion

The region of Saint-Emilion offered its own classification in 1955 to improve market demand and prices, and is unique in that it is updated approximately every ten years with each wine able to be promoted or relegated according to quality. The scheme labelled eleven wines Premiers grands crus classés, subdivided into two further classes A and B, and a further 63 wines were classified Grands crus classés.

For a full list see Classification of Saint-Emilion wine

Premiers grands crus classés - A

Premiers grands crus classés - B

Pomerol

Pomerol has refused to create any sort of classification scheme but it has produced red wines that are among the most expensive in the world, such as Château Pétrus.

Burgundy

The region of Burgundy also maintains its own classification of grands crus and premiers crus generally controlled by the geographical specificity of the appellations used on the bottle. For example, only a grand cru wine is permitted to use Appellation Chambertin Contrôlée on its label, whereas wines bearing Appellation Clos Saint-Jacques Contrôlée are implicitly of premier cru status, despite both being from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin.

See also

Retrieved from "http://www.encyclowine.org/?title=First_growth"
Personal tools
sponsors