Saint-Émilion classification: how it all began

For almost a quarter of a century, the winegrowers on the Right Bank of the Gironde fought to get a classification system like their colleagues in the Médoc, i.e. on the Left Bank. Just a little better and more modern and individual. When the classification into Grand Cru and Premier Cru for the châteaux was published in the Médoc in 1855 on the occasion of the World Exhibition in Paris, the entire Right Bank was left empty-handed. At first, the neglected winegrowers didn't care much. Life is about wine – not about status.

But it was precisely this status that very quickly sold Médoc wine very well. Prices and prestige rose rapidly. It was only a matter of time before the Right Bank wanted a piece of this success cake. And also its own reputation, which is at least as venerable and elitist as the Médoc classification. That is why, from 1930 onwards, the winegrowers campaigned for their own Saint-Émilion classification system, which was then adopted by the regional winegrowers' association in 1954 and first came into force in 1955. Exactly 100 years after the Médoc had been classified.

Special features of the Saint-Émilion classification

The classification in Saint-Émilion was not a mere copy of the Médoc classification. On the one hand, the classification with the independent appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is integrated into the appellation system here. On the other hand, the classification not only includes the château and its grand vin in the evaluation, but also the vineyards. If these are expanded, for example, you can lose your classification. This happened in 1986 with Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot, which was therefore downgraded from Premier Grand Cru Classé B to Grand Cru Classé. And those are not all the differences! In fact, the top league is further divided into Premier Grand Cru Classé A and B. Whew! It goes without saying that Classé A is as rare as a four-leaf clover. For decades, there were only two names at the top of the classification: Ausone and Cheval Blanc. And it was precisely these two that did not even apply for the last classification in 2022 and therefore lost their status!

Which brings us to the biggest difference between the Saint-Émilion classification and the Médoc classification. Unlike the Médoc, the classification on the Right Bank is not rigid, but is re-evaluated every ten years. Well, even in the Médoc, not everything is set in stone. After decades of quality competition, Château Mouton Rothschild finally rose to Premier Cru Classé in 1973. But in the Médoc, something like that only happens once in a blue moon. In Saint-Émilion, on the other hand, the châteaux have the chance to be promoted every ten years. Or run the risk of being downgraded. Because you actually have to reapply for a classification again and again. That is what makes it unique in the wine world.

A few classification details

The first Saint-Émilion classification was published in 1955. Ausone and Cheval Blanc were at the top of the A-list, as mentioned above. The B-list was made up of nine châteaux, and 64 vineyards were given the status of Grand Cru Classé. This classification was not published until 1958, which is why the next ranking round did not take place until 1969. As you can see, the ten-year cycle was never taken too seriously, even though it still officially exists. In any case, a total of 84 vineyards were classified in 1969. Even then, the high marketing value that the classification brought with it was recognised. That is why it was decided in 1984 that a maximum of 90 châteaux could be classified. In theory, that is. In practice, however, the number has always been between 61 and 82, depending on the year.

Why has there never been any continuity in the number? Because, on the one hand, the jury has always been made up differently and, on the other hand, applying for classification now costs a lot of money. Around 15.000 euros, depending on what you are applying for. These fees were disclosed by the Institut national des appellations d'origine (INAO, National Institute for Designations of Origin). Since 2012, the INAO itself has been responsible for the Saint-Émilion classification.

Classification confusion in Saint-Émilion

Let's jump back to 2006. At that time, the classification commission downgraded a number of vineyards. The four downgraded châteaux Cadet-Bon, Guadet, La Marzelle and La Tour-du-Pin-Figeac challenged the results at the administrative court in Bordeaux. The reason: the wines of the already classified châteaux were tasted first – then all the others. So there was no longer a pure blind tasting. The court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs – and caused a real mess.

First, the 2006 classification was set aside and the 1996 classification reinstated, then the 2006 upgrade of eight châteaux was confirmed, then rejected, and finally a "final" decision was made on 13 May 2009. Now the 1996 classification was valid again. However, a footnote was added stating that the eight châteaux that had been upgraded in 2006 (six Grand Cru Classé and two Premier Grand Cru Classé B) were allowed to retain their new ranking. Whew. Even in Saint-Émilion, it was no longer possible to fully understand the situation – and the wine world was even less able to. This was precisely what was already seriously damaging the classification's prestige at the time. In order to polish up the classification's prestige, the INAO was appointed as the classification committee in Saint-Émilion.

Is the INAO cleaning up in Saint-Émilion?

In theory, the INAO classification could have been a good thing. The institute formed a jury of seven tasters. To ensure independence, there were no members of the Saint-Émilion syndicate or the Bordeaux wine trade among them, but rather experts from Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire, Provence and the Rhône. However, a mistake was made here. Because wine estate owners from Saint-Émilion were also involved. But let's get back to the classification amendment. The wines were assessed by means of a blind tasting using a 20-point system. At least 14 points were required for the Grand Cru Classé, and at least 16 points for the Premier Grand Cru Classé. So far, so normal.

The jury was particularly lenient. Three of the four previously declassified châteaux were upgraded. Only La Tour-du-Pin-Figeac was again left empty-handed. In addition, there was only one new declassification. Château Corbin-Michotte lost its status. Of course, there were immediate complaints. A legal dispute that, incidentally, did not end until 2015. This time, however, the winemakers were defeated. This strengthened the position of the jury, but it did nothing to change the fact that the image of the appellation had been damaged yet again.

Château Angélus is in the mix

But there's more to come! In 2012, Château Angélus and Château Pavie were the first two estates to be awarded A status since the Saint-Émilion classification was introduced. Ausone and Cheval Blanc were no longer alone! Which brings us to a rather juicy detail. Because the jury was apparently not as independent as it would have liked to appear. The chairman of the commission was none other than Hubert de Boüard. That is, the owner of Château Angélus – and a few other Saint-Émilion vineyards. It was pure coincidence that all of his châteaux were upgraded.

In October 2021, de Boüard was therefore ordered by a court to pay a fine of 40.000 euros. He was also advised not to reapply for Premier Grand Cru Classé A status with his Château Angélus in 2022. Which he then did not do. However, this did not necessarily make the Saint-Émilion classification quieter.

Cheval Blanc and Ausone drop out

Before the classification in 2022, the INAO changed the evaluation criteria. Not only the grand vin and the terroir were now in the foreground, but also, for example, how sustainably a winery is managed. This alone would probably have been perfectly okay for most winemakers. However, the social media presence of the châteaux, for example, was now also to be included in the assessment. Or the tourist efforts in general. For Pierre Lurton and Pierre-Olivier Clouet, director and technical director of Cheval Blanc, this change was the last straw. They immediately announced that Cheval Blanc would no longer apply for Premier Grand Cru Classé A status and stated in a press release: "The evaluation grid is too far removed from what we consider fundamental: terroir, wine and history." Other secondary elements were given too much importance, they explained.

At the same time, Ausone, the other Classé A wine, also made it clear that it did not recognise itself in the new evaluation criteria – and also withdrew. Here too, director Pauline Vauthier was clear in her press release: "Terroir and tasting take up too small a part of the evaluation, but for a wine like Ausone they are central." At the same time, however, Vauthier emphasised that Château Ausone does not see itself as being above the ranking or that it does not need it, "that would be terribly pretentious". They simply no longer recognise themselves in the criteria. 

The reputation remains

In all the media hype, it was a little lost in 2022 that, in addition to Château Pavie, Château Figeac has now been awarded the status of Premier Grand Cru Classé A. And we think it deserves it. Let's hope that the quarrels surrounding the classification will finally calm down soon. Because it is actually a really good and important thing for Saint-Émilion – and the reputation is still there.