Bordeaux

Understanding something about Bordeaux classification systems is important to buying fine Bordeaux wine.  Here you will discover how each section within Bordeaux rates its wines.

If you are interested in the wine classification system of a particular appellation, click on its name here and you will go directly to that section of this page.

Medoc			Blaye & Bourg
Graves			Fronsac & Canon Fronsac
Pomerol & Lalande Pomerol			Entre Deux Mers, Cotes de Bordeaux & Sainte Foy Bordeaux
Saint Emilion			Bordeaux

AOC Wines

All French wine is regulated under certain rules to maintain quality control.  The Bordeaux wine regions outlined here all fall under the AOC laws, or Appellation d'Origine Côntrollée.

Only a fraction of all French wine fall in this category.  Many of the Bordeaux wine regions only have the AOC laws as the guidelines for making wine.

There are four different types of Bordeaux red wines under AOC rules:

Bordeaux Red Wine A typical red wine from Bordeaux. Bordeaux Superieur These wines are made from older vines and must be aged for 12 months before release to the market.

Bordeaux Clairet A lighter red wine but not quite a rose. The word "Claret" comes from this wine. Bordeaux Rosé A typical rosé wine.

The AOC regulates:

• Geographic origin
• Types of grapes grown
• Minimum alcohol content
• How much wine can be made per acre
• How many vines can be planted per acre
• How much land is designated for each type of wine
• How many buds can grow per acre

Geographic Origin

The AOC regulates where a wine can say it comes from.  This is to help you determine the quality of the wine.

Types of Grapes Grown

Bordeaux red wine can be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere.  The main types of grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which are mixed with small percentages of the other grapes for flavoring.

Depending on whether the wine is from the Right or the Left Bank, it will either have more Merlot or more Cabernet Sauvignon in it, respectively.

Minimum Alcohol Content

The minimum alcohol content of Bordeaux wines are:

Bordeaux Red Wine 10% Bordeaux Superieur 10.5%

Bordeaux Clairet 10% Bordeaux Rosé 10.5%

How Much Wine Can Be Produced Per Acre

Bordeaux Red 66 Million gallons (2.5 Million hectoliters) Bordeaux Superieur 14 Million gallons (530,000 hectoliters)

Bordeaux Clairet 1.4 Million gallons (52,000 hectoliters) Bordeaux Rosé 4.7 Million gallons (180,000 hectoliters)

How Many Vines Can Be Planted Per Acre

About 5,000 vines per acre (2,000 per hectare).

Land Designated For Each AOC Wine

Bordeaux Red 108,726 acres (44,000 hectares) Bordeaux Superieur 24,710 acres (10,000 hectares)

Bordeaux Clairet 2,285 acres (925 hectares) Bordeaux Rosé 8,154 acres (3,300 hectares)

How Many Buds Can Grow Per Acre

150,000 per acre (60,000 per hectare)

Medoc Ranking System

Medoc wine is classified under a system established over 150 years ago.  All the sub-appellations (Haut-Medoc, Pauillac, St. Julien, St. Estephe, Listrac, Moulis and Margaux) all fall under this system.

The Medoc system is not a system of quality control, like the AOC system.  It is a guide for you to know which are the best Medoc wines.

Back in 1855, when this Bordeaux classification system was invented, wines were ranked according to price.  It was broken down into five sections, or "growths."

There are 62 Chateaux in the 1855 classification.  You will know you are looking at one of these wines if you see "Grand Cru Classe" on the label.  Here is the list:

First Growths (Premier Crus)

Vineyard Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Chateau Latour Chateau Margaux Chateau Haut-Brion Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

AOC Pauillac Pauillac Margaux Pessac-Leognan (Graves) Pauillac

Second Growths (Deuxieme Crus)

Vineyard Chateau Rausan Segla Chateau Rausan Gassies Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases Chateau Leoville-Poyferre Chateau Leoville-Barton Chateau Durfort-Vivens Chateau Lascombes Chateau Gruaud-Larose Chateau Brane-Cantenac Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron C. Pichon-Longueville-Lalande Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Chateau Cos d'Estournel Chateau Montrose

AOC Margaux Margaux St. Julien St. Julien St. Julien Margaux Margaux St. Julien Margaux Pauillac Pauillac St. Julien St. Estephe St. Estephe

Third Growths (Troisiemes Crus)

Vineyard Chateau Giscours Chateau Kirwan Chateau d'Issan Chateau Lagrange Chateau Langoa-Barton Chateau Malescot-St-Exupery Chateau Cantenac-Brown Chateau Palmer Chateau La Lagune Chateau Desmirail Chateau Calon-Segur Chateau Ferriere Chateau d'Alesme Chateau Boyd-Cantenac

AOC Margaux Margaux Margaux St. Julien St. Julien Margaux Margaux Margaux Haut-Medoc Margaux St. Estephe Margaux Margaux Margaux

Fourth Growths (Quatriemes Crus)

Vineyard Chateau St. Pierre Chateau Branaire-Ducru Chateau Talbot Chateau Duhart-Milon-Rothschild Chateau Pouget Chateau La Tour-Carnet Chateau Lafon-Rochet Chateau Beuchevelle Chateau Prieure-Lichine Chateau Marquis de Terme

AOC St. Julien St. Julien St. Julien Pauillac Margaux Haut-Medoc St. Estephe St. Julien Margaux Margaux

Fifth Growths (Cinquiemes Crus)

Vineyard Chateau Pontet-Canet Chateau Batailley Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Chateau Grang-Puy-Ducasse Chateau Haut-Batailley Chateau Lynch-Bages Chateau Lynch-Moussas Chateau Dauzac Chateau d'Armailhac Chateau du Tertre Chateau Haut-Bages-Liberal Chateau Pedesclaux Chateau Belgrave Chateau Camensac Chateau Cos Labory Chateau Clerc-Milon-Rothschild Chateau Croizet Bages Chateau Cantemerle

AOC Pauillac Pauillac Pauillac Pauillac Pauillac Pauillac Pauillac Haut-Medoc Pauillac Margaux Pauillac Pauillac Haut-Medoc Haut-Medoc St. Estephe Pauillac Pauillac Haut-Medoc

Medoc Cru Bourgeois Wines

As new wineries were formed over the years, a new Bordeaux classification system was needed to help wine drinkers enjoy all the delicious French wines.  In 1920, the Cru Bourgeois system was developed.  It has since been revised several times, adding or removing wineries.

Between 2003 and 2010, Medoc Cru Bourgeois wine was divided into three levels:  Cru exceptionnels, Crus Superieurs and Crus Bourgeois.  Due to some serious issues with this system, it was annulled and restructured in 2010.

Since 2010, the system is revised annually and is awarded to specific wines, rather than wineries.  The classification is based on method of production as well as the quality of the wine.  Any Medoc winery may apply for the classification, which is released two year after the vintage year.  For example, a 2012 wine will receive its classification in 2014.

Graves Classification

The most famous of all the Graves chateaux is Chateau Haut-Brion.  You may recognize it from the Medoc Classification of 1855 list.

Other Graves wines are classified as Grand Cru Classes in Medoc as well.  Take a look at:

• Chateau Bouscaut
• Chateau Haut-Bailly
• Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Why are Graves wines included in the Medoc classification?

The Medoc classification was originally made for Medoc and Graves.  Graves eventually formed its own Bordeaux classification system in 1959.  These Chateaux are all located in Pessac-Leognan.

St. Emilion Classification

Saint Emilion's system was set up in a similar fashion to the Medoc.  This Bordeaux classification system was founded in 1955, with a list of Premier Gran Crus (A & B) and Grand Cru Classes.

The classification was updated every ten years until 2006, when a controversy erupted and changed the way this Bordeaux classification is conducted.

Before 2006, Saint Emilion had a fixed number of Chateaux to classify.  As of 2013, there are still controversies surrounding this Bordeaux classification system.

Famous Saint Emilion chateaux in each category of this Bordeaux classification system:

Premier Grand Crus Classes A

• Chateau Ausone
• Chateau Cheval Blanc

Premier Grand Crus Classes B

• Chateau Beausejour
• Chateau Canon
• Chateau Figeac

Grand Crus Classes

• Chateau Monbousquet
• Chateau La Tour Figeac

Pomerol & Lalande Pomerol

This tiny Bordeaux wine region has no Bordeaux classification system.  It has only recently (in the last 50 years) become a famous wine region.

The most famous of all the Pomerol wineries are Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin, which are some of the most expensive wines in the world.

Blaye & Bourg

Blaye and Bourg have no ranking system for their wines other than the AOC system.

Fronsac & Canon Fronsac

Fronsac & Canon Fronsac use the AOC regulations and have no ranking system.

Entre Deux Mers, Cotes de Bordeaux & Sainte Foy Bordeaux

Entre Deux Mers is the largest of all the Bordeaux wine regions and makes most of the Bordeaux AOC wine.  They come mostly from Sainte Foy Bordeaux and Cotes de Bordeaux.

Bordeaux AOC

Bordeaux AOC is where the supermarket brands of French wine come from. Mouton Cadet is a famous brand in this category, made by the Rothschild family.