Bordeaux 1855 Classification: Your Guide
Updated
The 1855 classification, formally the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, provides a ranking system for France's best Bordeaux wines. Emperor Napoleon III requested it for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price. The classification established a hierarchy from first to fifth growths (crus) for red wines. All red wines on the list came from the Médoc region, except for Château Haut-Brion from Graves. White wines, then considered "of much less importance than red wine," covered only the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac. The brokers ranked them "only from superior first growth to second growth,". Understanding the historical context and structure of this classification is crucial. It lets you interpret the legacy and market dynamics of these classified growths, and it informs your decisions on acquiring or holding these prestigious bottles.
What is the history of the 1855 Bordeaux Classification?
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 originated from a request by Emperor Napoleon III for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The Emperor sought a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines to display to visitors from around the world. Wine industry brokers ranked the wines, basing their assessments on a château's reputation and trading price.
The classification established a hierarchy for red wines, ranking them "in importance from first to fifth growths ( crus." Notably, "All of the red wines that made it on the list came from the Médoc region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves." For white wines, which were "then of much less importance than red wine," the classification was "limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac". It ranked them "only from superior first growth to second growth." This foundational document continues to shape perceptions and values in the fine wine market.
Which châteaux does the 1855 Classification include?
The 1855 Classification encompasses a specific list of châteaux from the Médoc, Graves, Sauternes, and Barsac regions. The brokers listed these estates within their respective categories on April 18, 1855.
Here is a breakdown of the classified estates:
| Classification | Original Name (1855) | Modern Name | Commune | AOC (if different) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Wines of the Gironde | ||||
| First Growths | Château Lafite | Château Lafite Rothschild | Pauillac | |
| Château Latour | Château Latour | Pauillac | ||
| Château Margaux | Château Margaux | Margaux | ||
| Haut-Brion | Château Haut-Brion | Pessac | Graves | |
| Mouton | Château Mouton Rothschild | Pauillac | ||
| Second Growths | Rauzan-Ségla | Château Rauzan-Ségla | Margaux | |
| Rauzan-Gassies | Château Rauzan-Gassies | Margaux | ||
| Léoville | Château Léoville-Las Cases | St.-Julien | ||
| Château Léoville-Poyferré | Château Léoville-Poyferré | St.-Julien | ||
| Château Léoville-Barton | Château Léoville-Barton | St.-Julien | ||
| Vivens Durfort | Château Durfort-Vivens | Margaux | ||
| Gruaud-Laroze | Château Gruaud-Larose | St.-Julien | ||
| Lascombes | Château Lascombes | Margaux | ||
| Brane | Château Brane-Cantenac | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Pichon Longueville | Château Pichon Longueville Baron | Pauillac | ||
| Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande | Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande | Pauillac | ||
| Ducru Beau Caillou | Château Ducru-Beaucaillou | St.-Julien | ||
| Cos Destournel | Château Cos d'Estournel | St.-Estèphe | ||
| Montrose | Château Montrose | St.-Estèphe | ||
| Third Growths | Kirwan | Château Kirwan | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux |
| Château d'Issan | Château d'Issan | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Lagrange | Château Lagrange | St.-Julien | ||
| Langoa | Château Langoa-Barton | St.-Julien | ||
| Giscours | Château Giscours | Labarde-Margaux | Margaux | |
| St.-Exupéry | Château Malescot St. Exupéry | Margaux | ||
| Boyd | Château Cantenac-Brown | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Château Boyd-Cantenac | Margaux | |||
| Palmer | Château Palmer | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Lalagune | Château La Lagune | Ludon | Haut-Medoc | |
| Desmirail | Château Desmirail | Margaux | ||
| Dubignon | Château Dubignon | Margaux | ||
| Calon | Château Calon-Ségur | St.-Estèphe | ||
| Ferrière | Château Ferrière | Margaux | ||
| Becker | Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker | Margaux | ||
| Fourth Growths | St.-Pierre | Château Saint-Pierre | St.-Julien | |
| Talbot | Château Talbot | St.-Julien | ||
| Du-Luc | Château Branaire-Ducru | St.-Julien | ||
| Duhart | Château Duhart-Milon | Pauillac | ||
| Pouget-Lassale and Pouget | Château Pouget | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Carnet | Château La Tour Carnet | St.-Laurent | Haut-Médoc | |
| Rochet | Château Lafon-Rochet | St.-Estèphe | ||
| Château de Beychevele | Château Beychevelle | St.-Julien | ||
| Le Prieuré | Château Prieuré-Lichine | Cantenac-Margaux | Margaux | |
| Marquis de Thermes | Château Marquis de Terme | Margaux | ||
| Fifth Growths | Canet | Château Pontet-Canet | Pauillac | |
| Batailley | Château Batailley | Pauillac | ||
| Château Haut-Batailley | Pauillac | |||
| Grand Puy | Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste | Pauillac | ||
| Artigues Arnaud | Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse | Pauillac | ||
| Lynch | Château Lynch-Bages | Pauillac | ||
| Lynch Moussas | Château Lynch-Moussas | Pauillac | ||
| Dauzac | Château Dauzac | Labarde | Margaux | |
| Darmailhac | Château d'Armailhac | Pauillac | ||
| Le Tertre | Château du Tertre | Arsac | Margaux | |
| Haut Bages | Château Haut-Bages-Libéral | Pauillac | ||
| Pédesclaux | Château Pédesclaux | Pauillac | ||
| Coutenceau | Château Belgrave | St.-Laurent | Haut-Médoc | |
| Camensac | Château de Camensac | St.-Laurent | Haut-Médoc | |
| Cos Labory | Château Cos Labory | St.-Estèphe | ||
| Clerc Milon | Château Clerc-Milon | Pauillac | ||
| Croizet-Bages | Château Croizet Bages | Pauillac | ||
| Cantemerle | Château Cantemerle | Macau | Haut-Médoc | |
| White Wines of the Gironde | ||||
| Superior First Growth | Yquem | Château d'Yquem | Sauternes | |
| First Growths | Latour Blanche | Château La Tour Blanche | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Peyraguey | Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Bommes | Sauternes | |
| Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey | Bommes | Sauternes | ||
| Vigneau | Château de Rayne-Vigneau | Bommes | Sauternes | |
| Suduiraut | Château Suduiraut | Preignac | Sauternes | |
| Coutet | Château Coutet | Barsac | ||
| Climens | Château Climens | Barsac | ||
| Bayle | Château Guiraud | Sauternes | ||
| Rieusec | Château Rieussec | Fargues | Sauternes | |
| Rabeaud | Château Rabaud-Promis | Bommes | Sauternes | |
| Château Sigalas-Rabaud | Bommes | Sauternes | ||
| Second Growths | Mìrat | Château de Myrat | Barsac | |
| Doisy | Château Doisy Daëne | Barsac | ||
| Château Doisy-Dubroca | Barsac | |||
| Château Doisy-Védrines | Barsac | |||
| Pexoto | part of Château Rabaud-Promis | |||
| D’arche | Château d'Arche | Sauternes | ||
| Filhot | Château Filhot | Sauternes | ||
| Broustet Nérac | Château Broustet | Barsac | ||
| Château Nairac | Barsac | |||
| Caillou | Château Caillou | Barsac | ||
| Suau | Château Suau | Barsac | ||
| Malle | Château de Malle | Preignac | Sauternes | |
| Romer | Château Romer | Fargues | Sauternes | |
| Château Romer du Hayot | Fargues | Sauternes | ||
| Lamothe | Château Lamothe | Sauternes | ||
| Château Lamothe-Guignard | Sauternes |
For a comprehensive list of these historic properties and their current details, you can refer to our full 1855 estate list.
How has the 1855 Bordeaux Classification evolved?
The 1855 Classification has seen minimal formal changes since its inception. "only twice since the 1855 classification has there been a change." The first occurred in 1856, when "Cantemerle was added as a fifth growth." The second, and "more significantly," was in 1973, when "Château Mouton Rothschild was elevated from a second growth to a first growth vineyard after decades of intense lobbying by the powerful Philippe de Rothschild."
A third, less widely known "change" involved the removal of Château Dubignon, originally a third growth from Margaux. That estate was "absorbed into the estate Château Malescot St. Exupéry,". Beyond these official adjustments, a "superficial change is that since 1855, when only five of the estates were styled with the word "château" in their name, most Bordeaux wine estates now use this nomenclature." This demonstrates a shift in branding and identity over the centuries.
What are the criticisms and limitations of the 1855 Classification?
Despite its enduring influence, the 1855 Classification faces significant criticism for its static nature and the criteria it used. It is "a classification of châteaux," not of specific vineyards. This distinction is important because "the actual vineyards owned by some wineries have expanded, shrunk and been divided without any reclassification." Furthermore, "considerable plots of valued terroir have changed ownership." A "peculiarity of Bordeaux" is that "as long as a vineyard parcel lies within the boundaries of the wine commune, it is eligible to be used by any chateau, independent of the quality of the parcel itself."
Many wine critics have argued that the classification "became outdated and does not provide an accurate guide to the quality of the wines being made on each estate." An attempt for a revision in 1960 was "unsuccessfully attempted." Alexis Lichine, a member of the 1960 revision panel, campaigned for changes for over thirty years, publishing his own unofficial classifications. Lichine cited Château Lynch-Bages, a Pauillac Fifth Growth, as one example. It is a wine that, "through good management and by patiently collecting the best parcels as they come on the market, makes wine that in his view are worthy of a much higher classification." Conversely, Robert Parker noted that "poor management can result in a significant decline in quality," citing Château Margaux. Those wines in the 1960s and 1970s are "widely regarded as far below what's expected of a First Growth,". Other critics, including Robert Parker in 1985, Bernard and Henri Enjalbert in 1989, Clive Coates (MW), and David Peppercorn (MW), have also made efforts to propose alternative classifications.
Ultimately, "nothing has come of them," with reasons including "the likely negative impact on prices for any downgraded châteaux and the 1855 establishment's political muscle." In March 2009, the British wine exchange Liv-ex "released The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification," aiming to "apply the original method to the contemporary economical context." Beyond the 1855 list, many leading Médoc estates not included are classified as Cru Bourgeois. That system "has been updated on a regular basis since 1932, banned in 2007, [ 14 ] but reinstated in,". Understanding these dynamics is key when evaluating fine wine investment opportunities and the live fine wine market index.
How does the 1855 Classification compare to other wine classification systems?
The 1855 Bordeaux Classification stands apart from other systems, such as those found in Burgundy, in its fundamental approach. In Bordeaux, "classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux." This means the classification is tied to the estate itself, rather than the specific land.
In contrast, Burgundy classifications are "geographically focused,". In that system, "A specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine's producer," the same source notes. This focus is so pronounced that Burgundy wine labels often feature appellations most prominently, with producer names appearing in smaller text at the bottom. The OIV's "international-standard-for-the-labelling-of-wines" includes "Appellation of origin or Geographical indication" as compulsory information, and "Traditional terms of quality" as optional information. That reflects the importance of origin in wine labeling globally.
Burgundy's hierarchy, in descending order of quality, includes Grand crus, Premier crus, village appellations, and regional appellations. Grand Cru wines, representing "2% of the production at 35 hl/ha," are produced from the best vineyard sites in the Côte d'Or. Premier Cru wines, making up "12% of production at 45 hl/ha," come from specific vineyard sites of high quality but not as highly regarded as Grand Cru sites. Village appellation wines, from "36% of production at 50 hl/ha," are blends from lesser vineyard sites within a village or from individual unclassified vineyards. Regional appellation wines, such as AOC Bourgogne, are produced over a wider area, potentially at "55 hl/ha," and are generally intended for more immediate consumption.
This distinction between château-centric and terroir-centric classifications is crucial for collectors. You may be considering how to buy wine at auction or how to sell fine wine. Whether a classification applies to the producer or the parcel of land can significantly influence value and provenance. You can explore the regional nuances further in our Bordeaux producer atlas and Burgundy producer atlas.
To explore the nuances of these classified wines and compare them against other top performers in your collection, use our side-by-side wine comparison.