WineGuessrClassification
The 1855 Bordeaux classification
The 1855 classification ranks 61 red wine châteaux of the Médoc and Graves in five growths, and 27 sweet wine châteaux of Sauternes and Barsac. Bordeaux wine brokers drew it up for the 1855 Paris Exposition Universelle, ranking estates by reputation and price. It has changed only twice since, in 1856 and 1973.
How the classification came about
Emperor Napoleon III asked for a list of the best Bordeaux wines to present at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. The wine brokers of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce delivered it on 18 April 1855, basing the ranks on each château's reputation and the prices its wine had fetched over many years. Every red estate on the list is in the Médoc except Château Haut-Brion, in Pessac in the Graves. Château Cantemerle was added as a fifth growth in 1856, and Château Mouton Rothschild was promoted from second to first growth in 1973. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are not part of it. Read more in the Bordeaux wine guide.
Red wines: Médoc and Graves
First growths (Premiers Crus): 5
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Haut-Brion | Pessac | Pessac-Léognan |
| Château Lafite Rothschild | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Latour | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Margaux | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Mouton Rothschild | Pauillac | Pauillac |
Second growths (Deuxièmes Crus): 14
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Brane-Cantenac | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Cos d'Estournel | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Estèphe |
| Château Ducru-Beaucaillou | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Durfort-Vivens | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Gruaud Larose | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Lascombes | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Léoville Barton | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Léoville Las Cases | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Léoville Poyferré | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Montrose | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Estèphe |
| Château Pichon Longueville Baron | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Rauzan-Gassies | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Rauzan-Ségla | Margaux | Margaux |
Third growths (Troisièmes Crus): 14
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Boyd-Cantenac | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Calon-Ségur | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Estèphe |
| Château Cantenac Brown | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château d'Issan | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Desmirail | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Ferrière | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Giscours | Labarde | Margaux |
| Château Kirwan | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château La Lagune | Ludon-Médoc | Haut-Médoc |
| Château Lagrange | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Langoa Barton | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Malescot St. Exupéry | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Palmer | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
Fourth growths (Quatrièmes Crus): 10
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Beychevelle | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Branaire-Ducru | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Duhart-Milon | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château La Tour Carnet | Saint-Laurent-Médoc | Haut-Médoc |
| Château Lafon-Rochet | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Estèphe |
| Château Marquis de Terme | Margaux | Margaux |
| Château Pouget | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Prieuré-Lichine | Cantenac (Margaux) | Margaux |
| Château Saint-Pierre | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
| Château Talbot | Saint-Julien-Beychevelle | Saint-Julien |
Fifth growths (Cinquièmes Crus): 18
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Batailley | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Belgrave | Saint-Laurent-Médoc | Haut-Médoc |
| Château Cantemerle | Macau | Haut-Médoc |
| Château Clerc Milon | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Cos Labory | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Estèphe |
| Château Croizet-Bages | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château d'Armailhac | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Dauzac | Labarde | Margaux |
| Château de Camensac | Saint-Laurent-Médoc | Haut-Médoc |
| Château du Tertre | Arsac | Margaux |
| Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Haut-Bages Libéral | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Haut-Batailley | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Lynch-Bages | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Lynch-Moussas | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Pédesclaux | Pauillac | Pauillac |
| Château Pontet-Canet | Pauillac | Pauillac |
Sweet wines: Sauternes and Barsac
Superior first growth (Premier Cru Supérieur): 1
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château d'Yquem | Sauternes | Sauternes |
First growths (Premiers Crus): 11
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Climens | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Coutet | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château de Rayne-Vigneau | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Guiraud | Sauternes | Sauternes |
| Château La Tour Blanche | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Rabaud-Promis | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Rieussec | Fargues | Sauternes |
| Château Sigalas-Rabaud | Bommes | Sauternes |
| Château Suduiraut | Preignac | Sauternes |
Second growths (Deuxièmes Crus): 15
| Château | Commune | Appellation |
|---|---|---|
| Château Broustet | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Caillou | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château d'Arche | Sauternes | Sauternes |
| Château de Malle | Preignac | Sauternes |
| Château de Myrat | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Doisy Daëne | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Doisy-Dubroca | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Doisy-Védrines | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Filhot | Sauternes | Sauternes |
| Château Lamothe | Sauternes | Sauternes |
| Château Lamothe-Guignard | Sauternes | Sauternes |
| Château Nairac | Barsac | Barsac |
| Château Romer | Fargues | Sauternes |
| Château Romer du Hayot | Fargues | Sauternes |
| Château Suau | Barsac | Barsac |
Frequently asked questions
What are the five first growths of Bordeaux?
The five first growths of the 1855 classification are Château Haut-Brion, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux and Château Mouton Rothschild. Château Mouton Rothschild was promoted from second to first growth in 1973.
Why was the 1855 classification created?
Emperor Napoleon III wanted the best Bordeaux wines shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855. The wine brokers of Bordeaux ranked the châteaux by reputation and the prices their wines fetched.
Has the 1855 classification ever changed?
Only twice: Château Cantemerle was added as a fifth growth in 1856, and Château Mouton Rothschild was raised from second to first growth in 1973.
Is Saint-Émilion in the 1855 classification?
No. The 1855 list covers the red wines of the Médoc plus Haut-Brion in Graves, and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Saint-Émilion has had its own classification since 1955, revised about every ten years, and Pomerol has none.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.