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What Is a First Growth? A Guide to Bordeaux’s Best Wines
Known as ‘premiers crus’ in French, the first growths are five historic Bordeaux wine-makers designated as the best-of-the-best according to a committee established by Napoleon III.
T hrough the 19th century, world’s fairs were a global stage for showcasing new technology, innovation and ways of thinking. Many achievements debuted at world’s fairs have left enduring marks on society: flush toilets, the Ferris wheel, the Eiffel Tower…
Another debut that has stood the test of time is the Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855, created at Emperor Napoleon III’s behest for the 1855 Paris Exposition.
In preparation for the Exposition, Napoleon ordered the brokers of Bordeaux, France, to classify the wine-making region’s top châteaux and inform which would be shown on the world’s stage. The brokers based their system on historical reputation and the contemporary trading prices, devising five tiers for red Bordeaux. Occupying the top rung of this classification were the premiers crus, or first growths: Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion. Also classified were the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, ranked in two tiers.
The classification of the reds was undoubtedly controversial. One major criticism was that all but one chateau (Haut-Brion) was based in the Médoc. Yet for all of its perceived shortcomings, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 still has a great relevance in the present day. Over a century and a half later, very few changes to the classification have ever been made. The most substantial of which was an elevation of Mouton-Rothschild from deuxième cru to premier cru in 1973
The Chateaux
Lafite
Lafite was the first château listed in the 1855 Classification, and to many collectors it still occupies this top spot.
The northernmost château in all of Pauillac, it borders the commune of Saint-Estèphe. Lafite takes its name from the Médocian word fite, meaning “mound” – a reference to the plateau on which the property sits. At 27 meters, it is one of the most elevated in Pauillac. Here the gravel is deep, and sits atop marl and limestone.
Although Pauillac is associated with producing powerful wines, the style at Lafite is one of elegance and levity. Finely textured, Lafite is no less formidable nor less age-worthy than neighboring first growths, Latour and Mouton.
Latour
Vineyards at Latour date back to the 14th century. Although listed second to Lafite on the original classification, the wines of Château Latour were trading at the same price in Northern Europe by the 1700s.
The style of Latour has always been heavily influenced by the estate’s proximity to the Gironde estuary, which offers a moderating influence to the local microclimate. Fruit here ripens up to a week earlier than the surrounding properties and this relative warmth produces full-flavored wines of power and structure.
This microclimate suits the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, and as a result, more hectares are devoted to Cabernet here, than those of the other first growths.
Margaux
In contrast to Pauillac, the commune of Margaux is home to only one first growth, Château Margaux. That being said, it’s worth noting that the commune is home to more classified growths than any other. Uniquely, Château Margaux has not expanded much in the past century and a half, and about 90% of its current holdings correspond to those at the time of the 1855 Classification.
Soils here are shallower than those of the Pauillac first growths and with more white gravel and sand, they heat up faster, resulting in earlier ripening fruit. A distinct softness, silkiness and floral perfume are the hallmarks of this wine.
Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion was the only first growth named in the 1855 classification located outside of the Médoc. Located in Graves, it is the southernmost of the first growths and closest to the actual city of Bordeaux, which affords the estate a slightly warmer microclimate than it would otherwise have.
Haut-Brion is the smallest production of all first growths, and the cépage of the grand vin contains a greater percentage of Merlot and Cabernet Franc than any other. Plantings of Merlot actually exceed those of Cabernet Sauvignon at Haut-Brion.
This unique cépage lends an aromatic complexity to the wine, which is often softer in texture, earthy and fresh.
Mouton
Originally classified as a second growth, Mouton’s status was elevated in 1973 thanks to the steadfast efforts of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who campaigned for the Château’s elevation in ranking for decades. Although greatly respected and priced similarly to the other first growths at the time of classification, it is believed to have been snubbed due to ownership changes still fresh at the time.
Like Lafite to the north, Mouton is famous for its deep gravel beds; these sit atop large stones and iron-rich sand. The style here is one of weight and opulence and richness.
