Famous, renowned, legendary, the Bordeaux Classification of 1855 is often mentioned.  But do you know what it means?

Below, we've summarized the history of the famous 1855 Classification and why it was created. With this article, this classification will no longer hold any secrets for you!

On the occasion of the 1855 Paris World Fair, and at the request of Napoleon III, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce called on wine brokers to establish a classification that would best present the wines of Gironde. The brokers based their classification on the average quotation of wines over the last few vintages. There are two classifications: one for red wines and one for white wines.

As a result, only the Médoc reds, the sweet Sauternes wines and Château Haut-Brion in Pessac are included in this ranking. The reason for this is that, at the time of the classification, their rating was twice as high as that of the other crus. Graves* wines and three times higher than those of Saint-Emilion or Pomerol. A total of 61 red crus were classified into five categories (as you can see in the ranking below).

This classification has hardly ever been modified, except once, in 1973, when Château Mouton Rothschild was upgraded from second to premier cru classé. In 2017, the hierarchy of wines was modified, but here we present the original classification.

Despite much criticism, this ranking remains a benchmark for the wine market.

Graves* wines: Suburban vineyards stretching along the Garonne to Langon.

 Premiers Grands Crus Classés

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac
Château Margaux, margaux
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (ranked 1973)
Château Haut-Brion, (Graves until 1986, then Pessac-Léognan)

Seconds Grands Crus Classés

Château Rauzan-Gassies, margaux
Château Rauzan-Ségla, margaux
Château Léoville Barton, saint-julien
Château Léoville Las Cases, saint-julien
Château Léoville Poyferré, saint-julien
Château Durfort-Vivens, margaux
Château Gruaud Larose, saint-julien
Château Lascombes, margaux
Château Brane-Cantenac, margaux
Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, saint-julien
Château Cos d'Estournel, saint-estèphe
Château Montrose, saint-estèphe

Troisièmes Grands Crus Classés

Château Kirwan, margaux
Château d'Issan, margaux
Château Lagrange, saint-julien
Château Langoa Barton, saint-julien
Château Giscours, margaux
Château Malescot St. Exupéry, margaux
Château Boyd-Cantenac, margaux
Château Cantenac Brown, margaux
Château Palmer, margaux
Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc
Château Desmirail, margaux
Château Calon-Ségur, saint-estèphe
Château Ferrière, margaux
Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker, margaux

Quatrièmes Grands Crus Classés

Château Saint-Pierre, saint-julien
Château Talbot, saint-julien
Château Branaire-Ducru, saint-julien
Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac
Château Pouget, margaux
Château La Tour Carnet, haut-médoc
Château Lafon-Rochet, saint-estèphe
Château Beychevelle, saint-julien
Château Prieuré-Lichine, margaux
Château Marquis de Terme, margaux

Cinquièmes Grands Crus Classés

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Château Batailley, Pauillac
Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac
Château Dauzac, margaux
Château d'Armailhac (formerly Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe), Pauillac
Château du Tertre, Margaux
Château Haut-Bages Liberal, Pauillac
Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac
Château Belgrave, haut-médoc
Château de Camensac, haut-médoc
Château Cos Labory, saint-estèphe
Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac
Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac
Château Cantemerle (included in the classification in 1856), Haut-Médoc

Classified Growths of Sauternes and Barsac

Premier Cru Supérieur

Château d'Yquem, Sauternes
Premiers crus
Château La Tour Blanche, Sauternes
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes
Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Sauternes
Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Sauternes
Château Suduiraut, Sauternes
Château Coutet, Barsac
Château Climens, Barsac
Château Guiraud, Sauternes
Château Rieussec, Sauternes
Château Rabaud-Promis, Sauternes
Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Sauternes

Second Classified Growths of Sauternes and Barsac

Château Myrat, Barsac
Château Doisy Daëne, barac
Château Doisy-Dubroca, barsac
Château Doisy-Védrines, barsac
Château d'Arche, Sauternes
Château Filhot, Sauternes
Château Broustet, Barsac
Château Nairac, Barsac
Château Caillou, Barsac
Château Suau, Barsac
Château de Malle, Sauternes
Château Romer, Sauternes
Château Romer du Hayot, Sauternes
Château Lamothe, Sauternes
Château Lamothe Guignard, Sauternes

In fact, the 1855 classification was at the origin of the idea to create a classification specific to wines. of Graves. The Graves classification created in 1953 is revised and completed, and becomes official in 1959. As a result, 16 Châteaux were recognized (all within the Pessac-Léognan appellation). In 1987, the INAO  decides to create the AOC Pessac-Léognan within the Graves appellation. Pessac-Léognan became a more elitist and prestigious appellation.

The Graves AOC is a historic appellation covering a territory of thirty communes (not including the ten communes of the Pessac-Léognan AOC), representing around 3,700 hectares of vines in production.

AOC Pessac-Léognan is a young appellation, created only twenty years ago. As a result, and to meet the highest quality standards, the territory is smaller, representing just ten communes. In other words, the territory covers 1,530 hectares of vines in production. As a result, this prestigious appellation has stricter constraints than the Graves.

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