What does your 1855 classifcation look like?

[Comte Flaneur]

The 1855 classification was designed to rank the great wines of Bordeaux but it only applied to the wines of the Medoc...with one exception: Haut-Brion.

Just for fun...I have applied an 1855-style classification to four famous sub-regions of Bordeaux, based on my experiences and preferences. The list is hardly complete.

Before getting down to the nitty-gritty I would like to say that the 1855 classification of the Medoc has served Bordeaux very well in my opinion. There are anomalies sure, but remarkably few after over 150 years.

Winners and losers

La Mission Haut Brion becomes a first growth. That is an uncontentious decision, even though generally I prefer Haut-Brion, which tends to have more elegance and finesse.

Palmer, is a notable winner. It gets elevated to first growth status from third and leapfrogs Leoville-Lascases, which is widely viewed as deserving of first growth status, but only tops my list of 'super seconds.' In recent vintages these two estates are pretty close. For example Palmer was stronger in vintages like 1999, 1990, 1989, 1983, 1979 and 1978, while LLC was stronger in vintages like 2002, 2000, 1986, 1985, 1982 etc. But Palmer hits greater heights. It made more very great wines in earlier vintages.

So did Mouton-Rothschild. That is why I am dismissive of demoting Mouton back to second and promoting LLC to first. Mouton is very deserving of its first growth status in my opinion. It may be less consistent than Leoville-Lascases, but reaches greater heights.

Other notable winners are Pontet Canet and Grand Puy Lacoste, which get catapulted from fifth to second. Likewise Lynch-Bages gets promoted from fifth to third, almost achieving second growth status too. But for my money Pontet Canet and GPL are consistently better wines.

Sociando Mallet is another winner. It was only created in 1969, and therefore was not around when the classification was created. But it comes in as a very solid third growth.

One of the biggest losers is Lascombes, which gets emoted from second to fifth. I always thought this estate played second fiddle to Giscours, and now the wines are obscenely spoofulated.

Another notable loser is Leoville-Poyferre, a very highly regarded wine these days, but gets downgraded two notches to fourth growth in my ranking . I have rarely if ever tasted a Poyferre, which I have found particularly interesting. In the old days these wines were often quite rustic. Now they are quite boring. Well made sure but anonymous and anodyne 21st century creations. I had the 1996 and 2004 recently and was very underwhelmed. To be fair the 2001 and 2002 are good wines. But are so are many other wines produced by fourth growths on my list.

Angelus goes down a notch because it simply does not deserve to be ranked equally with Cheval Blanc and Ausone...that is an effrontery...even though this estate made magical wines in 1989 and 1990. The more modern vintages are afflicted by the Poyferre syndrome and taste somewhat anaesthetised by comparison. Pavie goes down five notches. Perse is trying his best to make great wine but his approach is misguided. As one of his competitors put it, he is obliterating the terroir. I doubt these wines will age well, and the market is cottoning on.

My classification - you can see it more clearly on my blog linked below


First Medoc Pessac-Leognan St-Emilion-Pomerol Sauternes-Barsac

Lafite Haut-Brion Petrus D’Yquem
Margaux La Mission Haut-Brion Cheval Blanc
Latour Ausone
Mouton-Rothschild Lafleur
Palmer Le Pin

Second

Leoville-Lascases Pape Clement L’Evangile Climens
Ducru-Beaucaillou Trotanoy Rieussec
Pichon-Lalande La Conseillante La Tour Blanche
Pichon-Baron Vieux Chateau Certan De Fargues
Montrose L’Eglise Clinet Gilette
Cos D’Estournel Figeac Raymond-Lafon
Leoville-Barton Angelus Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Gruaud-Larose Belair-Monange
Rauzan-Segla Tertre-Roteboeuf
Pontet-Canet Pavie Macquin
Grand Puy Lacoste Hosanna
Les Forts De Latour

Third

Calon-Segur Domaine De Chevalier Clinet Suduiraut
La Lagune Haut-Bailly Certan De May Coutet
Giscours Smith Haut Lafitte La Fleur Petrus Guiraud
Branaire-Ducru La Fleur De Gay Rayne Vigneau
Beychevelle Latour A Pomerol Siglas Rabaud
Langoa-Barton Beausejour-Lagarosse Rabaud Promis
Talbot Beausejour-Becot Lamothe Guignard
Lagrange Canon Doisy-Vedrines
Lynch-Bages Canon La Gaffliere Doisy-Daene
Duhart-Milon Clos Fourtet
Brane-Cantenac La Dominique
Sociando-Mallet Gomerie
Valandruad

Fourth

Prieure-Lichine Les Carmes Haut-Brion Gazin Filhot
Dufort-Vivens Carbonnieux L’Arrosee De Malle
D’Issan Fieuzal Berliquet Nairac
Kirwan La Louviere Franc Mayne D’Arche
Malescot St-X Olivier Grand Mayne
Cantenac Brown Branon Couvent Des Jacobins
Du Tertre Haut-Bergey Pavie Decesse
Cantermerle Bahans Haut Brion Quinault L’Enclos
St-Pierre Rol Valantin
Gloria Troplong Mondot
Moulin De La Rose Trotevieille
Leoville-Poyferre La Grave a Pomerol
Grand Puy Ducasse Nenin
D’Armhaillac Petit-Village
Clerc Milon Moulin St-George
Haut-Marbuzet Le Gay
Lafon-Rochet La Gaffaliere
Chasse-Spleen Grand-Pontet
Poujeaux La Tour Figeac
Carruades De Lafite Le Bon Pasteur
Clos Du Marquis Petit Cheval
Reserve De La Comtesse


Fifth

Rauzan-Gazzies La Tour Martillac Clos L’Oratoire
Lascombes Malartic Lagraviere Clos Rene
Ferriere Rouget
Haut-Batailley Chauvin
Batailley Monbousquet
Haut Bages Liberal Pavie
Lynch Moussas Barde-Haut
Cos labory
Meyney
D’Angludet
Potensac
Pavillon Rouge

I know other opinions will differ, and some will find fault in my personal rankings, but the idea of re-opening this can of worms is to encourage a stimulating debate.

[DavidG]

An interesting exercise. The reds will take some thought, but generally most of these look right to me - though I don't have enough experience with the likes of Petrus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone to really say. On the Barsac and Sauternes side, I would put La Tour Blanche third, not second, but that's just me. And do you rank those on the "regular" wine or do you take the special cuvees that are only occasionally produced into account (Coutet Madame, Doisy L'Extravagant)?

[stefan]

This is always an interesting and controversial topic, Ian.

I would not include any second wines in the ranking as a matter of principle.

1st growths: I would not include Lafleur, Palmer, and Le Pin. Palmer because I don't think it merits first growth status; the Pomerols because I have not drunk enough to make the call.

2nd growths: I would add Lynch-Bages, La Lagune, Canon La Gaffliere, and Canon, and move Tertre-Roteboeuf to the 3rds and Pavie Macquin to the 4ths.

3rd growths: I would add Leoville-Poyferre, Haut-Bergey, and Pavie Decesse, and make Beausejour-Becot a 5th.

4th & 5th growths: Things get muddier for me in these groups. In general, I think there are too many in the 4th group. Among those I would move down a notch are Quinault L’Enclos, Nenin, Grand Puy Ducasse, Haut-Marbuzet, Chasse-Spleen, Grand-Pontet, Poujeaux, and La Tour Figeac. I would move up Haut-Batailley. Many in these groups I don't know well enough to judge.

[JimHow]

First Growths:
Margaux
Lafite
Haut Brion
Pontet Canet

Second Growths:
Latour
Mouton
Lynch Bages
Pichon Baron
Sociando Mallet
Leoville Poyferre
La Mission
Brane Cantenac
Duhart Milon

Third Growths:
Ducru Beaucaillou
Cos d'Estournel
Palmer
Pichon Lalande
Leoville Barton
Leoville Las Cases
Montrose
Giscours
La Lagune

Fourth Growths:
Rausan Segla
Gruaud Larose
d'Issan

Fifth Growths:
Calon Segur
Cantemerle
Meyney
Branaire Ducru
Pape Clement

Cru Bourgeois:
Grand Puy Lacoste
d'Armailhac
Clerc Milon

[Tom In DC]

Headline: "Jimmy LB How downgrades Latour!!!??????"

YIKES! The only Leoville NOT downgraded is Leo-Poyferre? But Brane-Cantenac and Sociando-Mallet are Seconds???

[JimHow]

You read it here first.
It won't be the first time BWE is ahead of the curve.

[Chateau Vin]

Just sticking to 1855 Classification, ignored the right bank, and here is my take... (but included graves/pessac)

First Growths:
Margaux
Lafite
Latour
Haut Brion

Second Growths:
Mouton
La Mission
Lynch Bages
Pichon Baron
Pontet Canet
Palmer
Montrose
Leoville Las Cases

Third Growths:
Leoville Poyferre
Ducru Beaucaillou
Cos d'Estournel
Duhart Milon
Pichon Lalande
Leoville Barton
Giscours
Gruaud Larose
Rausan Segla
Pape Clement
Brane Cantenac
Smith Haut Lafitte
Haut Bailly

Fourth Growths:
d'Issan
Sociando Mallet
Calon Segur
St Pierre
Grand Puy Lacoste

Fifth Growths:
Cantemerle
Meyney
Branaire Ducru
La Lagune
Domaine de Chevalier

[DavidG]

My list is a bit of a mash-up of historical and current performance, based on what I've actually tasted. So there are some holes and there are some that have been rated on pre-2000 vintages only and others weighted more heavily on more recent performances. I started to arrange them in some sort of order within each group but threw in the towel on that.

First
Haut-Brion
Margaux
Lafite
Latour
Petrus
Yquem

Second
La Mission Haut-Brion
Palmer
Hosanna
Pontet-Canet
Mouton
Lynch-Bages
Pichon-Baron
Pichon-Lalande
Gruaud-Larose
Ducru-Beaucaillou
Leoville Las Cases
Leoville-Barton
Grand Puy Lacoste
Montrose
Cos D’Estournel
Lafleur
Cheval Blanc
Angelus
La Conseillante
L’Evangile
Vieux Chateau Certan
Trotanoy
L’Eglise Clinet
Clos Fourtet
Climens
De Fargues
Lafaurie-Peyraguey

Third
Pape Clement
Malescot St Exupery
Rauzan-Segla
Calon-Segur
Clinet
Suduiraut
La Lagune
Leoville-Poyferre
Haut-Bailly
Certan De May
Giscours
Smith Haut Lafitte
Branaire-Ducru
Talbot
Lagrange
Canon
Canon La Gaffeliere
Brane-Cantenac
Sociando-Mallet
Gomerie
Pavie
Pavie Macquin
Valandruad
Rieussec
Gilette
Coutet
La Tour Blanche

Fourth
Beychevelle
Langoa-Barton
Prieure-Lichine
D’Issan
Branon
Du Tertre
Lascombes
Malartic Lagraviere
Meyney
Pavie Decesse
Cantemerle
Rol Valantin
Gloria
Troplong Mondot
Grand Puy Ducasse
D’Armhaillac
Clerc Milon
Haut-Marbuzet
Le Gay
Chasse-Spleen
Grand-Pontet

Fifth
Rouget
Haut-Batailley
Chauvin
Batailley
Monbousquet
Haut Bages Liberal
Haut-Bergey
Barde-Haut
Poujeaux
Quinault L’Enclos

[Jay Winton]

Interesting topic folks. Hasn't Sociando refused classification status? Is Lynch Bages consistent enough to rate 2nd growth? However, it should be higher than 5th

[DavidG]

Chacun à son goût, Jay. That's what makes it an interesting topic. I wouldn't take umbrage at suggestions that Lynch Bages should be a third. Fourth or fifth? Well, them's fightin' words...

[Chasse-Spleen]

I'm happy that Chasse-Spleen has made the cut as a fourth growth, at least for some of you.

[DavidG]

That's the wine, Chasse. As for you, first growth all the way! You might be demoted to second, though, if you don't make the BWE Annual event in DC next spring.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thanks, David - you made my day!

[robert goulet]

Nothing earth shattering from me


But I need SHL as a 2nd...'01 and '04 haunt me
Palmer
And
D'issan....love these houses, jeez the nose on the '03 d'issan should be bottled and sold

Talbot 3rd, some bottles are earth shattering...'82 a freakish beast, incredible may be an injustice
and
GPL 3rd, oh that '95

[chris kissack]

The only statement I wold take umbrage with is that 1989 and 1990 Angélus were "magical". Not to my palate.

[DavidG]

Chris, are there any vintages of Angelus that you find outstanding, or is it a wine that just doesn't do it for you?