The 1855 Classification of Médoc and Sauternes wines hold a unique place in the history of wine. Not only because it was the first, but because it is the most enduring.

Commissioned by Napoleon III for the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, this famous ranking was designed to be the basis for a display that would demonstrate to visitors—who could not actually taste the wines—the superior quality represented by Bordeaux’s best production. The Chamber of Commerce entrusted the task of drawing up this list to the Brokers’ Union, which relied on decades of statistical information to select the region’s top wines.

Published on April 18, 1855, the Classification was the confirmation of an existing market and the evolution over more than a century.

Although it is a veritable monument of the wine world, the 1855 Classification is not frozen in time. Its members take their commitment to its high standards very seriously, carrying out extensive research to further improve their wines, adopting the most modern techniques and rigorously reevaluating their properties on a regular basis. Thanks to their efforts, the Classification remains to this day the ultimate reference for Bordeaux enthusiasts worldwide.

Established shortly after the Classification came into being, the “Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855” is a professional organization that upholds and protects the 1855 Classification and its prestigious image through joint economic, legal and promotional activities.

Information provided by Les Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855