1855 Bordeaux Classification System

Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best wines, which were to be put on display at the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. Wine brokers ranked the top Médoc producers according to the château's reputation and the average price each producer's wine fetched at the time. 

The red wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus). All of these wines came from the Médoc region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves. White wines, having much less prominence than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac & were ranked only from superior first growth to second growth.

The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

Reaction to the classification was heated. The courtiers' original list ranked the châteaus by quality within each class. But undoubtedly responding to criticism, they wrote the chamber in early September insisting that no such hierarchy had been intended, so the chamber rearranged the list of each class into alphabetical order.

Since 1855, many changes have occurred in the châteaus' names, owners, vineyards and wine quality, and because of divisions in the original estates, there are now 61 châteaus on the list. But if an estate can trace its lineage to the classification, it retains its claim to cru classé status. The only formal revision came in 1973, when after half a century of unceasing effort Baron Philippe de Rothschild succeeded in having Mouton elevated to first-growth.

 

For red wines, the 1855 classification, revised in 1973, has one cru from Graves and 60 from the Médoc, distributed as follows:

PREMIERS CRUS

Château Haut-Brion, Pessac, AOC Pessac-Léognan

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Latour, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Margaux, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

DEUXIÈMES CRUS

Château Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Cos-d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Gruaud-Larose, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Lascombes, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Léoville-Barton, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Léoville-Las-Cases, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron-de-Pichon, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Pichon-Longueville-Comtesse-de-Lalande, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux, AOC Margaux

TROISIÈMES CRUS

Château Boyd-Cantenac, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Château Cantenac-Brown, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Desmirail, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Ferrière, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Giscours, Labarde, AOC Margaux

Château d’Issan, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Kirwan, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château La Lagune, Ludon, AOC Haut-Médoc

Château Langoa-Barton, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Marquis-d’Alesme, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Palmer, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

QUATRIÈMES CRUS

Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Château Marquis-de-Terme, Margaux, AOC Margaux

Château Pouget, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Prieuré-Lichine, Cantenac, AOC Margaux

Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château Talbot, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, AOC Saint-Julien

Château La Tour-Carnet, Saint-Laurent-de-Médoc, AOC Haut-Médoc

CINQUIÈMES CRUS

Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Batailley, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Belgrave, Saint-Laurent-de-Médoc, AOC Haut-Médoc

Château Camensac, Saint-Laurent-de-Médoc, AOC Haut-Médoc

Château Cantemerle, Macau, AOC Haut-Médoc

Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Cos-Labory, Saint-Estèphe, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Dauzac, Labarde, AOC Margaux

Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, AOC Pauillac

Château du Tertre, Arsac, AOC Margaux

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For sweet white wines, the classification has 26 Sauternes and Barsac crus, distributed as follows:

PREMIER CRU SUPÉRIEUR

Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

PREMIERS CRUS

Château Climens, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

Château Coutet, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Guiraud, Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

Château Rabaud-Promis, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

Château Rayne-Vigneau, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

Château Rieussec, Fargues-de-Langon, AOC Sauternes

Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

Château Suduiraut, Preignac, AOC Sauternes

Château La Tour-Blanche, Bommes, AOC Sauternes

DEUXIÈMES CRUS

Château d’Arche, Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

Château Broustet, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Caillou, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Doisy-Daëne, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Doisy-Dubroca, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Doisy-Védrines, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Filhot, Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

Château Lamothe (Despujols), Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

Château Lamothe-Guignard, Sauternes, AOC Sauternes

Château de Malle, Preignac, AOC Sauternes

Château de Myrat, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Nairac, Barsac, AOC Barsac

Château Romer-du-Hayot, Fargues-de-Langon, AOC Sauternes

Château Romer, Fargues-de-Langon, AOC Sauternes

Château Suau, Barsac, AOC Barsac