©2007, The Birmingham Post
It's probably a man thing, but there is a compulsive need to compile best-ever lists. We are regaled with classifications of the greatest footballers or teams, record albums or films, and so on. Inevitably, there is a grand pecking order in the world of wine, and none more so than in Bordeaux, a region steeped in history and tradition.
The French term denoting a wine of elevated status is "cru", which translates into English as "growth". In established regions like Burgundy, a cru refers to a vineyard, and a Grand Cru takes precedence over a Premier Cru in terms of quality. In Bordeaux, the word is used in a different context, as it refers to the wine estate itself, namely a top-rank Chateau. This is quite at odds with the usual notion of terroir, which normally relates to the vineyard site, and never the Chateau itself.
Of course, this being France, the regional classifications within Bordeaux can appear at face value, absurdly complicated. For example, a Grand Cru Classé in St. Emilion is reduced to a simple Cru Classé in Graves and, in Pomerol, (technically a St. Emilion Cru) there is no such ranking. Within the Medoc, the Cru Classés are graded at five levels, but in Sauternes, there are just two, with naturally, one exception, Chateau d'Yquem, ranked alone as a Premier Grand Cru Classé.
The best-known and most enduring is the 1855 Medoc Classification. It was instigated by the Emperor Napoleon III for his Paris Exhibition, and the task was charged to the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce. They, in turn, invited the Bordelais wine brokers to create the rankings who primarily based them on auction prices.
The wines were confined to the Medoc, again with one notable exception, Chateau Haut-Brion, a first-growth Graves, but almost thrown in as an afterthought. The Right Bank wines of Pomerol and St. Emilion were omitted completely because, at the time, they were destined for the Dutch market where they fetched lower prices. Neither Graves nor dry white Bordeaux merited inclusion, but a further classification was compiled for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.
The 1855 Classification was by no means the first of its kind and, whilst providing a contemporary view of the best of Bordeaux, it was never intended to become set in stone. Yet that's exactly what happened, with only one officially permitted change in 1973, namely the promotion of Mouton-Rothschild from second to first-growth status.
In one sense, the 1855 Classification still has relevance, and that is that the five Premier Crus are still a class apart. Nonetheless, over 150 years, since its inception, there are inevitably a number of major anomalies. For example, Lynch-Bages, a 5th Growth, fetches 2nd Growth prices, and the unclassified Sociando-Mallet would probably be regarded a 4th growth. On the other hand, the creditable Durfort-Vivens no longer justifies its 2nd Cru status, and would now be declassified.
Beneath this aristocracy, is the Alliance of Cru Bourgeois, established for Medoc wines in 1932. At the time, it did not attain official status, but provided consumers with an assurance that the wines were made with competence and care.
Nevertheless, as recently as 2000, the classification underwent a root-and-branch overhaul. The wines from some 490 Chateaux were sampled over 10 vintages and, as a result, a new order was achieved, with effect from 2003, reducing the number of qualifying Chateaux to 247. There are now three categories namely, Exceptional, Superior and just plain Bourgeois.
The high rejection figure now adds relevance and credence to a classification which will be reviewed every 12 years. It's certainly a category where there are still many great bargains worth seeking out.
Compared to the Medoc the Graves (subsequently sub-divided into Pessac-Leognan) were late arrivals at the party. The first Classification was not in place until 1953 (later amended in 1959), and now simply lists some 16 properties producing red and dry whites as Cru Classé without any ranking.
The Chateaux of St. Emilion were slow starters, too, and their classification was not formally drawn up until 1955, with an intention of being updated every 10 years or so. Again, as a result of this continuous assessment, the rankings have more credibility, but the main criticism is the inflationary use of the term Grand Cru, which cheapens its value.
The basic level starts at Grand Cru, and then progresses to Grand Cru Classé. Above this are the Premier Grand Cru Classé levels, subdivided into "A" and "B" categories. Fortunately, there are only 2 "A" listers to remember, namely Cheval-Blanc and Ausone.
September 2006 saw the latest revision and, of course, there were some winners and losers. Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin were elevated to Premier status, and Grand-Corbin-Despagne, previously relegated to Grand Cru in 1996, was reinstated to Classé level. 11 under-achieving properties were demoted to Grand Cru.
So, do classifications still matter? As a debating point between Bordeaux enthusiasts, in particular, the 1855 classification, they are largely of historic interest. Moreover, in Bordeaux, they are not based on the actual vineyard site, but the boundary of the estate. Chateaux continually swap, sell or buy parcels, and these can continually change.
Even the more flexible Cru Bourgeois and St. Emilion classifications merely provide an historical snapshot of what has previously been achieved and, in some cases, do not reflect the current level of investment or skill of the management team, particularly where a property has recently changed ownership.
Moreover, the rise of the Right Bank has made the 1855 Classification defunct. One classification should represent the entire region and the sole basis should be price. After all, this information is easy enough to access on the internet. Perhaps the best advice for a wine enthusiast attempting to develop a degree of expertise is to ascertain which Chateaux are producing the best wine via a leading authority , and then source it from an acknowledged specialist.