The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Classed Growths, or Grands Crus Classés. As the classification of Classed Growths had only one change since 1856, it came to be widely regarded as outdated, and many wine writers agree that there is considerable overlap in quality between the Classed Growths and the Cru Bourgeois.[1]
The first Cru Bourgeois list was drawn up by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Agriculture in 1932, selecting 444 estates for the classification.[2] A substantial revision of the classification, dividing it into three tiers, was initiated in 2000 and finalised in 2003. Following several legal turns, the 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification was annulled by the French government in 2007, resulting in a ban of all use of the term. In 2010, a significantly modified version of the Cru Bourgeois was reintroduced, consisting only of a single tier, and applied to the 2008 vintage.[3]
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The 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification (annulled in 2007) proposed a system of 247 wines classified in three tiers:
| Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels | Appellation |
|---|---|
| Château Chasse-Spleen | (Moulis-en-Médoc) |
| Château Haut-Marbuzet | (Saint-Estèphe) |
| Château Labégorce Zédé | (Margaux) |
| Château Les Ormes-de-Pez | (Saint-Estèphe) |
| Château de Pez | (Saint-Estèphe) |
| Château Phélan Ségur | (Saint-Estèphe) |
| Château Potensac | (Médoc) |
| Château Poujeaux | (Moulis-en-Médoc) |
| Château Siran | (Margaux) |
(Total:9)
| Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs | Appellation |
|---|---|
| Château d’Agassac | (Haut Medoc) |
| Château Anthonic | (Moulis-en-Medoc) |
| Château d’Arche | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Arnauld | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château d’Arsac | (Margaux) |
| Château Beaumont | (Haut Medoc) |
| Château Beau-Site | (Haut Médoc) |
| Château Brillette | (Moulis-en-Médoc) |
| Château Le Boscq | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Bournac | (Medoc) |
| Château Brillette | (Moulis-en-Medoc) |
| Château Cambon La Pelouse | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Cap-Léon-Veyrin | (Listrac) |
| Château Cardonne | (Medoc) |
| Château Caronne Sainte-Gemme | (Haut Medoc) |
| Château Castera Saint-Germain-d’Esteuil | (Médoc) |
| Château Chambert-Marbuzet | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Charmail Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Cissac | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Citran | (Haut Medoc) |
| Château Clarke | (Listrac) |
| Château Clauzet | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Clément Pichon | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Colombier-Ponpelou | (Pauillac) |
| Château Coufran Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne | (Haut Medoc) |
| Château Le Crock | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux | (Moulis) |
| Château d’Escurac | (Medoc) |
| Château Fonbadet | (Pauillac) |
| Château Fonréaud | (Listrac) |
| Château Fourcas Dupré | (Listrac) |
| Château Fourcas Hosten | (Listrac) |
| Château Furcas Loubaney | (Listrac) |
| Château du-Giana | (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Les Grands Chênes | (Medoc) |
| Château Gressier Grand Poujeaux | (Moulis) |
| Château Greysac | (Medoc) |
| Château La Gurgue | (Margaux) |
| Château Hanteillan | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Haut-Bages Monpelou | (Pauillac) |
| Château La-Haye | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Labegorce | (Margaux) |
| Château de Lamarque | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Lamothe Bergeron | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Lanessan | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Larose Trintaudon | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Lestage | (Listrac) |
| Château Lestage Simon | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Lilian Ladouys | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Liversan | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Lilian Ladouys | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Loudenne | (Medoc) |
| Château Malescasse | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château de Malleret | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Maucaillou | (Moulis) |
| Château Maucamps | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Mayne-Lalande | (Listrac) |
| Château Meyney | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Monbrison | (Margaux) |
| Château Moulin à Vent | (Moulis) |
| Château Moulin de La Rose | (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Les Ormes Sorbet | (Medoc) |
| Château Paloumey | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Patache d'Aux | (Medoc) |
| Château Paveil de Luze | (Margaux) |
| Château Petit Bocq | (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château Pibran | (Pauillac) |
| Château Ramage La Batisse | (Haut-Medoc) |
| Château Reysson | (Haut-Medoc) |
(Total:87)
(Total 151)
As with any such classification system, there was controversy over these rankings, and some very highly regarded wines outside the 1855 classification such as Château Gloria and Château Sociando-Mallet did not apply for classification.
In February 2007, the French courts overturned the 2003 revision based on an appeal by dissatisfied producers.[4] In essence the court ruled that four of the panel had conflicting interests, as owners of relevant wineries, and could not be seen as independent.[5] Additionally, some vineyards were listed with both its Grand vin and second wine.[2] The classification was at that point reverted to the 1932 classification, with the tiers Exceptionnel and Supérieur removed, and the original 444 estates equally classified Cru Bourgeois.[4]
In July of that year, the suspension was officially amended and all use of the term Cru Bourgeois became illegal. As the 2005 vintages were already bottled and with further anticipated delays, the ruling was expected to be enforced starting with the 2007 vintage. The ban applies to all wines, also extending to those wineries in Sauternes, Côtes-de-Bourg and Blaye who use the term.[6]
The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois responded by taking a new motion to the government, to create a new certification adopting the term Label Cru Bourgeois from the 2007 vintage to be released in 2009, "not as a classification, but as a mark of quality" open to all Médoc wines, based on production and quality standards.[7]
In February 2008, a format for the classification to be reintroduced was agreed by 180 estates from the defunct 2003 ranking, along with 95 new entrants. The revision demanded that estates adhere to a new set of production rules and independent quality testing in order to remain in the classification, and initially the terms Cru Bourgeois Supérieur or Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel would no longer be used.[8]
Initially, the organisation L'Alliance des Cru Bourgeois du Médoc hoped to be able to reintroduce the classification in 2009, and apply it to the 2007 vintage, but this was not achieved. Instead, the new classification was unveiled in 2010, and applied to the 2008 vintage.[3]
While the new Cru Bourgeois classification was being prepared, six out of nine of the former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel decided to remain outside the new one-tier classification. Instead, they formed a group named Les Exceptionnels, primarily to stage common marketing events. Members of this group are Château Chasse Spleen, Château Les Ormes de Pez, Château de Pez, Château Potensac, Château Poujeaux and Château Siran.[9]
Crus Bourgeois wineries can be found across the Médoc, but there is a particularly high concentration in the Saint-Estèphe appellation, on the plateau south and west of the village.[10]