The 1855 classification of Bordeaux: the full list, and how to say the names

The short answer: the 1855 classification is a ranking of Bordeaux châteaux drawn up for the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. It lists 61 red wines in five growths, 60 from the Médoc and one, Haut-Brion, from the Graves, and 27 sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac. In more than 170 years it has changed only twice: Cantemerle was added in 1856, and Mouton Rothschild was promoted from Second to First Growth in 1973.

How the list was made

Napoleon III wanted the best of French wine shown at the Exhibition. The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce asked the city's wine brokers to rank the châteaux. They used what the market already knew: reputation, and the prices each wine had fetched over many years. Their list is dated 18 April 1855. It ranked the wines, not the land, so the châteaux kept their rank even as their vineyards grew, shrank or changed hands.

The classification at a glance

Exam tip: Margaux has the most classified growths (21), Pauillac the most First Growths (three) and the most Fifths (twelve). Saint-Julien has no First and no Fifth.

First Growths

Second Growths

Third Growths

Fourth Growths

Fifth Growths

Sauternes and Barsac

How to say the names that trip people up

• Pauillac: poh-YAK. Saint-Estèphe: sant-ess-TEFF. Saint-Julien: san zhew-lee-AN.
• Cos d'Estournel: koss dess-toor-NELL. The s of Cos is spoken, and so is the s of Cos Labory (koss lah-boh-REE).
• Léoville Las Cases: lay-oh-VEEL lahss KAHZ. Léoville-Poyferré: lay-oh-VEEL pwah-feh-RAY.
• Rauzan-Ségla: roh-ZAHN say-GLAH. Gruaud Larose: grew-OH lah-ROHZ.
• Pichon: pee-SHOHN. Ducru-Beaucaillou: dew-KREW boh-kye-OO.
• Giscours: zhees-KOOR. Malescot Saint-Exupéry: mah-less-KOH san-teg-zew-pay-REE.
• Calon Ségur: kah-LOHN say-GUR. Beychevelle: baysh-VELL. Prieuré-Lichine: pree-uh-RAY lee-SHEEN.
• Lynch-Bages: lansh-BAHZH. Lynch is said the French way, “lansh”.
• Pontet-Canet: pon-TAY kah-NAY. Grand-Puy-Lacoste: grahn-PWEE lah-KOST.
• d'Armailhac: dar-mah-YAK. Pédesclaux: pay-dess-KLOH. Cantemerle: kahnt-MAIRL.
• d'Yquem: dee-KEM. Suduiraut: sew-dwee-ROH. Rieussec: ree-uh-SEK. Guiraud: ghee-ROH.
• Château itself: shah-TOH. The plural, châteaux, sounds the same.

Say a name once, calmly, and move on. A guest remembers how you made them feel about the wine, not your accent.

What the classification does and does not tell you

• It is a price list from 1855, frozen in time. Owners, vineyards and winemaking have changed since, so the rank tells you history, not this year's quality. Judge each wine in the glass.
• It covers the main wine only. Second wines, such as Carruades de Lafite or Les Forts de Latour, are not classified themselves.
• It leaves most of Bordeaux out. The Graves were classified in 1953 and 1959, Saint-Émilion has its own classification (latest edition 2022), and Pomerol, home of Petrus, has never been classified.
• On the label you will see Grand Cru Classé en 1855, often with the rank.

For the context around the list, from the banks to the Crus Bourgeois, read my Bordeaux guide for the Certified Sommelier exam. To drill the names, ask SOMM DIGI AI for a quiz on the 1855 growths, one rank at a time.

Questions people ask