The 1855 Classification of Medoc

The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines that were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality.

The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus). All of the red wines that made it on the list came from the Médoc region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves. The white wines, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from superior first growth to second growth.

First-Growths / Premieres Crus

Chateau Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac丨Chateau Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac 丨 Chateau Latour - Pauillac 丨Chateau Margaux - Margaux 丨Chateau Haut-Brion - Pessac Leognan

Second-Growths / Deuxiemes Crus

Chateau Rausan-Segla - Margaux 丨Chateau Rauzan-Gassies - Margaux 丨Chateau Leoville Las Cases - Saint Julien 丨Chateau Leoville Poyferre - Saint Julien丨Chateau Leoville Barton - Saint Julien 丨Chateau Durfort-Vivens - Margaux 丨Chateau Gruaud-Larose - Saint Julien丨Chateau Lascombes - Margaux 丨Chateau Brane-Cantenac - Margaux 丨Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 丨Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pichon Longueville Lalande)  - Paillac丨Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou - Saint Julien 丨Chateau Cos-d'Estournel 丨Chateau Montrose 丨

Third-Growths / Troisiemes Crus

Chateau Kirwan - Margaux 丨Chateau d'Issan - Margaux 丨Chateau Lagrange - Saint Julien 丨Chateau  Langoa Barton - Saint Julien丨Chateau  Giscours - Margaux 丨Chateau Malescot-St.-Exupéry - Margaux 丨Chateau Boyd-Cantenac - Margaux丨Chateau  Palmer - Margaux 丨Chateau  La Lagune - Haut Medoc 丨Chateau  Desmirail - Margaux丨Chateau  Calon Segur  - Saint Estephe丨Chateau  Ferriere - Margaux丨Chateau  Marquis-d'Alesme-Becker - Margaux 

Fourth-Growths / Quatriemes Crus

Chateau  Saint -Pierre - Saint Julien丨Chateau La Tour Carnet - Haut Medoc丨Chateau  Talbot  - Saint Julien丨Chateau  Branaire-Ducru - Saint Julien丨Chateau  Duhart-Milon Rothschild - Pauillac丨Chateau  Pouget - Margaux 丨Chateau  Lafon-Rochet - Saint Estephe丨Chateau  Beychevelle - Saint Julien 丨Chateau  Prieuré-Lichine - Margaux 丨Chateau  Marquis de Terme - Margaux

Fifth-Growths / Cinquiemes Crus

Chateau  Pontet-Canet - Pauillac 丨Chateau  Batailley - Pauillac丨Chateau  Haut-Batailley - Pauillac丨Chateau  Grand-Puy-Lacoste - Pauillac 丨Chateau  Grand-Puy-Ducasse - Pauillac丨Chateau  Lynch Bages - Pauillac丨Chateau  Lynch-Moussas - Pauillac丨Chateau  Dauzac - Margaux 丨Chateau d'Armailhac - Pauillac丨Chateau  du Tertre - Margaux丨Chateau  Haut-Bages Liberal - Pauillac 丨Chateau  Pedesclaux - Pauillac 丨Château Belgrave - Haut Medoc丨Chateau de Camensac - Haut Medoc 丨Chateau Cos Labory - Saint Estephe丨Chateau Clerc Milon - Pauillac丨Chateau Croizet-Bages - Pauillac 丨Chateau Cantemerle - Haut Meodc 

這麼久以來只有三次調整：
第一次是在緊接1856年把 Cantemerle 酒莊佳得美加到第五級，因為遴選時搞錯了把 Cantemerle 篩走了
第二次就是在1973年，著名的 Mouton Rothschild 升級，在當時極大影響力的 Philippe de Rothschild極力遊說底下，從二級升到一級，成就今日的五大局面
還有一次就比較次要，就是 Château Dubignon 因為酒莊拼入Château Malescot St. Exupéry而除名

1855至今已經接近170年，當中都有很多不同的聲音認為分級已經不合時宜，酒莊的價錢、質素和名聲都已經有很大的轉變...
但即使全個酒界都為此發過聲，分級未曾動搖過，當中相信包括不同的原因和壓力(例如政治壓力和酒莊可能因降級而有龐大的市場轉變)。
無論如何，這個分級依然很有代表性，對價錢和市場的影響仍然很大，當中也有很多酒莊保持到高質素，所以值得我們認識和參考的～

而1855也有Sauternes和Barsac的甜白酒分級，可看另一篇介紹：

蘇玳和巴薩克分級制度 Sauternes & Barsac Classification

馬上看看我們的列級酒莊酒款～

值得一提的是列級莊所推出的副牌酒，由列級莊的葡萄園面積由當初的 2650公頃增至現在約 3500 公頃，但當中用來做正牌的葡萄平均減少了 30 % -50 %，証明各列級莊為求推高正牌的質量，對正牌所用的葡萄篩選愈來愈嚴格，故餘下的產量便會用來做副牌，換句話說就是正牌的標準提高了，而副牌也用多了昔日正牌的葡萄質素 (有某些高質副牌甚至有正牌的水準，後來更獨立發展成正牌，如 Clos du Marquis )

副牌酒的介紹

https://www.winecouple.hk/pages/%E5%88%97%E7%B4%9A%E8%8E%8A%E5%89%AF%E7%89%8C-second-label-en-1855-medoc-%E6%B3%A2%E7%88%BE%E5%A4%9A%E5%88%97%E7%B4%9A%E8%8E%8A

馬上看看我們的列級莊副牌～