Cru Bourgeois
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The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the châteaux from the
Médoc The Médoc (; ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the '' département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, northwest of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''( Pagus) Medullicus'', or "country ...
that were not included in the 1855 Classification of ''Crus Classés'', or Classed Growths. Notionally, ''Cru Bourgeois'' is a level below ''Cru Classé'', but still of high quality (formerly there were additional grades of ''Cru Artisan'' and ''Cru Paysan''). Many wine writers consider that there is some overlap in quality between the Classed Growths and the Cru Bourgeois, although also saying that by and large the Classed Growths still represent the best wines. 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. The words ''Cru Bourgeois'' were widely used on labels by the châteaux so listed, although the classification was never officially ratified. A substantial revision of the classification, dividing it into three tiers, was initiated in 2000 and finalised in 2003. This reduced the number of châteaux listed to 247. Following several legal turns, the 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification was annulled by the French court in 2007, and shortly afterwards all use of the term was banned. In 2010, the Cru Bourgeois label was reintroduced, but in a significantly revised form. It now consists of only one level, and is awarded annually, as a mark of quality, to wines rather than to châteaux, on the basis of an assessment of both production methods and the finished product. Any property in the Médoc may apply. The lists are published approximately 2 years after the vintage, so the 2008 list was published in 2010, and the 2009 list was published in 2011. The 2009 list includes 246 wines. An example of longevity and stability in the quality of its wine is the Chateau Magnol, in the Haut Medoc appellation, that have been Cru Bourgeois every single year since 1987.


2003 classification (annulled)

The 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification ( annulled in 2007) classified 247 properties in three tiers: Exceptionnel (9 properties), Supérieurs (87 properties) and straight Bourgeois (151 properties). The Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels are listed in the following table, for historical interest: Note that some very highly regarded wines outside the 1855 classification such as Château Gloria and Château Sociando-Mallet did not apply for classification.


Annulment

There was considerable controversy regarding the 2003 classification as 77 châteaux which had been included in the 1932 list lost their ''Cru Bourgeois'' status. Many proprietors were unhappy, either because they had been excluded entirely, or because they had been included at a lower level than they had expected. Over 70 producers applied to court to contest their exclusion from the new ranking, and in 2004 the court voided their rankings, requiring them to be reassessed, but otherwise upheld the new system. However, in February 2007, Bordeaux magistrate Jean-Pierre Valeins, having found that the classification was 'not impartial' and 'tainted with illegality', annulled the 2003 revision, following an appeal by dissatisfied producers, led by Denis Hecquet, president of the Médoc winegrowers' union. 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. At this point, the 1932 classification was briefly reinstated, with its single tier and 444 estates. In July 2007, following the intervention of the French fraud office, 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 applied to all wines, also extending to those wineries in Sauternes, Côtes-de-Bourg and
Blaye Blaye (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. For centuries, Blaye was a particularly convenient crossing point for those who came from the north and went to Bordeaux or fur ...
who used the term.


2010 reintroduction

The ''Alliance des Crus Bourgeois'' responded to the annulment of the 2003 classification by taking a new motion to the government, to create a new certification adopting the term ''Label Cru Bourgeois'', "not as a classification, but as a mark of quality" open to all
Médoc The Médoc (; ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the '' département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, northwest of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''( Pagus) Medullicus'', or "country ...
wines, based on production and quality standards, to be assessed by an independent body. 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 the terms ''Cru Bourgeois Supérieur'' or ''Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel'' would no longer be used. Initially, the ''Alliance des Crus Bourgeois'' 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. Of the 290 producers who applied for ''Cru Bourgeois'' status for their 2008 wine, 243 were successful. The ''Bureau Véritas'' (the newly formed independent body to oversee the assessment process) inspected the facilities of all the applicants to ensure compliance with the required production standards and the wines were submitted to blind tastings by panels of wine professionals, none of whom are châteaux owners and none of whom have family connections to the applicants. In September 2011, the 2009 classification was announced. Of 304 applicants, 246 were successful. While the new Cru Bourgeois classification was being prepared, six out of nine of the former Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels 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 Chasse-Spleen is a winery in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, just north-west of Margaux. Château Chasse-Spleen was selected as one of six ''Crus Exceptionnels'' in the ''Cru Bourgeois'' classificat ...
,
Château Les Ormes-de-Pez Château Les Ormes-de-Pez, or Château Ormes de Pez, ( French for ''The Elms of Pez'') is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France, near the hamlet of Pez. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 ...
, Château de Pez, Château Potensac,
Château Poujeaux Château Poujeaux lies in the wine-producing district of Moulis-en-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France. It is one of the most highly regarded wines within Moulis, alongside Château Chasse-Spleen. In the 2003 classification of ''Cru Bourgeois'' ...
and
Château Siran Château Siran is a winery in the Margaux Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels as of the 2003 listing. The Chateau owns 88 ...
.Anson, Jane, ''Decanter.com'' (May 13, 2010)
Former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels boycott new system
/ref>


2020: Three new tiers

Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc announced a new Crus Bourgeois classification on February 20, 2020, that includes 179 Crus Bourgeois, 56 Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs and 14 Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels. Estates ranked in the ‘Exceptionnels’ category include châteaux Paveil de Luze and d’Arsac in Margaux; châteaux Le Bosq, Lillian Ladouys and Le Crock in Saint-Estèphe; Château Lestage in Listrac-Médoc and eight properties in Haut-Médoc: châteaux d’Agassac, Arnauld, Belle-Vue, Cambon La Pelouse, Charmail, Malescasse, de Malleret and du Taillan.https://imbibe.com/news/new-crus-bourgeois-classification-system-comes-into-play/ New Crus Bourgeois classification system comes into play The estates will be able to apply their classification to their labels from the 2018 vintage for the next five years with the next classification earmarked for 2022.


Regions

Crus Bourgeois wineries can be found across the Médoc, but there is a particularly high concentration in the Saint-Estèphe
appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...
, on the plateau south and west of the village.


Gallery

File:Chateau Terrey Gros Cailloux 1990.jpg, Chateau Terrey Gros Cailloux 1990 File:Chateau Le Boscq 1990.jpg, Chateau Le Boscq 1990 File:Chateau Cambon la Pelouse 2004.jpg, Chateau Cambon la Pelouse 2004 File:Château Grivière 1990.jpg, Château Grivière 1990 File:Senejac.jpg, Château Senejac 2010


See also

*
Regional wine classification The classification of wine is based on various criteria including place of origin or appellation, vinification method and style, sweetness and vintage,J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 752 & 753 Oxford University ...
*
Bordeaux wine regions The wine regions of Bordeaux in France are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole ...
*
History of Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine spans almost 2000 years to Roman times when the first vineyards were planted. In the Middle Ages, the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine opened the Bordeaux region to the English market and eventually to the world ...


References

* * * * ;Footnotes {{reflist, 2


External links


Cru Bourgeois Alliance site
French wine Wine classification