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2025-05-13T12:49:50Z

Premiers Grands Crus Classés B: Listed in Classés 'A'.

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{{Short description|Classification of wines}}
{{For|the ecological concept|Old-growth forest}}
{{refimprove|date=March 2013}}
'''First Growth''' ({{langx|fr|Premier Cru}}) status is a classification of [[wine]]s primarily from the [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]] region of France.

The wines considered “best of the best” are assigned the rank of Premier Cru, with only five wines, [[Château Lafite Rothschild]], [[Château Margaux]], [[Château Haut-Brion]], [[Château Latour]], and [[Château Mouton Rothschild]] rated “First Growth”.

== History ==

===Bordeaux reds===
The need for a classification of the best Bordeaux wines arose from the [[Exposition Universelle (1855)|1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris]]. The result was the [[Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855]], a list of the top ranked wines, named the Grand Crus Classés (Great Classified Growths). With several thousand Chateaux producing their wines in Bordeaux, to be classified was to carry a mark of high prestige.

Within the Grand Cru Classé list, wines were further ranked and placed in one of five divisions. The best of the best wines were assigned the highest rank of Premier Cru; only four wines, [[Château Latour]], [[Château Lafite Rothschild]], [[Château Margaux]] and [[Château Haut-Brion]] were deemed worthy. Of all the 61 great classified wines, all but one came from the [[Médoc]] region. The exception was the premier cru Château Haut-Brion, produced in [[Graves (wine region)|Graves]].

The 1855 list remained unchanged for over a hundred years until finally [[Château Mouton Rothschild|Mouton Rothschild]] was promoted to Premier Cru status in 1973, after decades of relentless lobbying by its powerful owner, [[Philippe de Rothschild|Baron Philippe de Rothschild]]. Of lesser importance, in 1988 the premier cru Château Haut-Brion was changed in appellation from Graves to [[Pessac-Leognan]] to represent apparent changes in soil structure caused by the urbanisation of areas surrounding Bordeaux.

===Bordeaux sweet wines===
Also in 1855, 21 of the best sweet wines from Bordeaux were classified as Grand Crus Classés in a separate list. In the original classification, nine wines (primarily from the [[Graves (wine region)#Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC|Sauternes and Barsac]] regions) were classed as ''Premier Cru'', while 11 were assigned the lower (though still prestigious) rank of ''Deuxième Cru'' (Second Growth). One wine ([[Château d'Yquem]]) was considered so great it was granted a special ''Premier Cru Supérieur'' classification.

===Other classification schemes in Bordeaux===
With the exception of Château Haut-Brion from Graves, the 1855 Classification did not include producers in the regions of [[Graves (wine region)|Graves]], [[Saint-Émilion AOC|Saint-Émilion]] and [[Pomerol]]. For details on their own classification schemes, see their sections below.

===Other classification schemes in France===

[[Burgundy wine|Burgundy]] maintains its own classification scheme based on specific [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|appellations]]. Although the terminology used is similar, the classification hierarchy is different and also attaches to the vineyards themselves. The most-highly rated vineyards are graded as [[List of Burgundy Grand Crus|Grand Cru]], while those at the next level are classified as [[Premier Cru]].

==First Growth wines today==

===Bordeaux reds===

====''Premier Grand Cru''====
* [[Château Lafite Rothschild]] Médoc ([[Pauillac]])
* [[Château Margaux]] Médoc ([[Margaux]])
* [[Château Latour]] Médoc (Pauillac)
* [[Château Haut-Brion]] Graves (Pessac-Leognan)
* [[Château Mouton Rothschild|Château Mouton-Rothschild]] Médoc (Pauillac)

===Bordeaux sweet wines===

====''Premier Cru Supérieur''====
* [[Château d'Yquem]] (Sauternes)

====''Premier Cru''====
* [[Château La Tour Blanche]], Bommes (Sauternes)
* [[Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey]], Bommes (Sauternes)
* [[Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey]], Bommes (Sauternes)
* [[Château de Rayne-Vigneau]], Bommes (Sauternes)
* [[Château Suduiraut]], Preignac (Sauternes)
* [[Château Coutet]], Barsac
* [[Château Climens]], Barsac
* [[Château Guiraud]], Sauternes
* [[Château Rieussec]], Fargues (Sauternes)
* [[Château Rabaud-Promis]], Bommes (Sauternes)
* [[Château Sigalas-Rabaud]], Bommes (Sauternes)

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

==The Graves classification==
After the [[World War II|Second World War]] 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 [[Classification of Graves wine|own classification]] of red wines and one white wine, with more white wines added in 1959. Sixteen wines were given special classification.
* [[Château Bouscaut]] (red & white)
* [[Château Carbonnieux]] (red & white)
* [[Château Couhins]] (white)
* [[Château Couhins-Lurton]] (white)
* [[Domaine de Chevalier]] (red & white)
* [[Château de Fieuzal]] (red)
* [[Château Haut-Bailly]] (red)
* [[Château Haut-Brion]] (red)
* [[Château La Mission Haut-Brion]] (red)
* [[Château La Tour Haut-Brion]] (red)
* [[Château Latour-Martillac]] (red & white)
* [[Château Laville Haut-Brion]] (white)
* [[Château Malartic-Lagravière]] (red & white)
* [[Château Olivier]] (red & white)
* [[Château Pape Clément]] (red)
* [[Château Smith Haut Lafitte]] (red)

==The Saint-Émilion classification==

Missing from the 1855 list, the Bordeaux region of [[Saint-Émilion AOC|Saint-Émilion]] offered its own classification in 1955 to improve market demand and prices. The [[Classification of Saint-Émilion wine]] differs from the 1855 list in that it is updated approximately every ten years based on new assessments of quality. For each new release of the classification, wines may be promoted or demoted within the list. A wine may even be removed entirely, while other unclassified wines may be added. In 2006, for example, eleven wines were removed from the list, six new wines added, and two existing wines promoted to a higher division.

The Saint-Émilion Classification currently labels 15 wines as First Growths. These ''Premiers Grands Crus Classés'', subdivided into two further classes : ''A'' (2 wines) and ''B'' (13 wines). A further 64 wines are currently classified as ''Grands Crus Classés''.<ref name="Johnson atlas pg 108">{{cite book |first=H. |last=Johnson |first2=J. |last2=Robinson |title=The World Atlas of Wine |page=108 |publisher=Mitchell Beazley |year=2005 |isbn=1-84000-332-4 }}</ref><ref name=deca-0907>{{cite web|last= Anson |first= Jane; Lechmere, Adam, ''Decanter.com'' |title= 'Only three chateau dropped in new St Emilion classification |date= September 7, 2012 |url=http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/530434/only-three-chateau-dropped-in-new-st-emilion-classification }}</ref>

===Premiers Grands Crus Classés A===
* [[Château Figeac]]
* [[Château Pavie]]

===Premiers Grands Crus Classés B===
* [[Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse)]]
* [[Château Beau-Séjour Bécot]]
* [[Château Bélair-Monange]]
* [[Château Canon (Saint-Émilion)|Château Canon]]
* [[Château Canon-la-Gaffelière]]
* [[Clos Fourtet]]
* [[Château Larcis Ducasse]]
* [[Château La Gaffelière]]
* [[Château Magdelaine]]
* [[Château Pavie-Macquin]]
* [[Château Troplong Mondot]]
* [[Château Trottevieille]]

=== Former Premier Crus Classés ===

* [[Château Angélus]]
* [[Château Ausone]]
* [[Château Cheval Blanc]]

==Pomerol==

[[Pomerol AOC|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 [[Pétrus (wine)|Petrus]].

==See also==
* [[French wine]]
* [[Bordeaux wine]]
* [[Wine labels]]
* [[Second wine]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{wines}}
[[Category:Bordeaux wine]]
[[Category:Wine classification]]
[[Category:Wine terminology]]

First Growth - Revision history

imported>Godtres: /* Premiers Grands Crus Classés B */ Listed in Classés 'A'.