Friday, 30 August 2013

My 1855 classification explained

The 1855 classification was designed to rank the great wines of Bordeaux but it only applied to the wines of the Medoc...with one exception: Haut-Brion.

My system applies an 1855-style classification to four famous sub-regions of Bordeaux, based on  my experiences and preferences. The list is hardly complete.

First I would like to say that the 1855 classification of the Medoc has served Bordeaux very well in my opinion. There are anomalies sure, but remarkably few after over 150 years.

In the list of firsts and second growths in particular the order reflects my preferences.

In Bordeaux I think the first among equals are Lafite and Margaux in the Medoc, Petrus on the right bank and d'Yquem in Sauternes. Nothing controversial about that. Close behind would be Latour, Haut-Brion and Cheval Blanc.

Winners and losers

La Mission Haut Brion becomes a first growth That was a fairly uncontentious decision, but generally I prefer Haut-Brion, which tends to have more elegance and finesse.

Palmer, is a big winner. It gets elevated to first growth status from third and leapfrogs Leoville-Lascases, which is widely viewed as deserving of first growth status, but only tops my list of 'super seconds.' In recent vintages these two estates are pretty close. For example Palmer was stronger in vintages like 1999, 1990, 1989, 1983, 1979 and 1978, while LLC was stronger in vintages like 2002, 2000, 1986, 1985, 1982 etc. But Palmer made more very great wines in earlier vintages.

So did Mouton-Rothschild. That is why I am dismissive of demoting Mouton back to second and promoting LLC to first. Mouton is very deserving of its first growth status in my opinion. It may be less consistent than Leoville-Lascases, but reaches greater heights.

Other notable winners are Pontet Canet and Grand Puy Lacoste getting promoted from fifth to second. Likewise Lynch-Bages gets promoted from fifth to third, with quite a close shout in almost achieving second growth status. But for my money Pontet Canet and GPL are consistently better wines.

Sociando Mallet is another winner. It was only created in 1969, and therefore was not around when the classification was created. But it comes in as a very solid third growth.

Of the losers Leoville-Poyferre, a very highly regarded wine these days,  gets downgraded two notches to fourth growth. I have never tasted a Poyferre, which I have found particularly interesting or stimulating. In the old days these wines were rustic. Now they are just boring. Well made sure but anonymous and anodyne 21st century creations. I had the 1996 and 2004 recently and was very underwhelmed. To be fair the 2001 and 2002 are good wines. But are so are many other wines produced by fourth growths on my list.

Angelus goes down a notch because it simply does not deserve to be ranked equally with Cheval Blanc and Ausone...that is an effrontery...even though this estate made magical wines in 1989 and 1990. The more modern vintages are afflicted by the Poyferre syndrome and taste anaesthetised by comparison. Pavie goes down five notches. Perse is trying his best to make great wine but his approach is misguided. As one of his competitors put it, he is obliterating the terroir. I doubt these wines will age well, and the market is cottoning on.

My classification


Medoc
Pessac-Leognan
St-Emilion/Pomerol
Sauternes/Barsac
First
Lafite
Haut-Brion
Petrus
D’Yquem
Margaux
La Mission Haut-Brion
Cheval Blanc

Latour

Ausone

Mouton-Rothschild

Lafleur

Palmer

Le Pin






Second
Leoville-Lascases
Pape Clement
L’Evangile
Climens

Ducru-Beaucaillou

Trotanoy
Rieussec
Pichon-Lalande

La Conseillante
La Tour Blanche
Pichon-Baron

Vieux Chateau Certan
De Fargues
Montrose

L’Eglise Clinet
Gilette
Cos D’Estournel

Figeac
Raymond-Lafon
Leoville-Barton

Angelus
Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Gruaud-Larose

Belair-Monange

Rauzan-Segla

Tertre-Roteboeuf

Pontet-Canet

Pavie Macquin

Grand Puy Lacoste

Hosanna

Les Forts De Latour







Third
Calon-Segur
Domaine De Chevalier
Clinet
Suduiraut

La Lagune
Haut-Bailly
Certan De May
Coutet
Giscours
Smith Haut Lafitte
La Fleur Petrus
Guiraud
Branaire-Ducru

La Fleur De Gay
Rayne Vigneau
Beychevelle

Latour A Pomerol
Siglas Rabaud
Langoa-Barton

Beausejour-Lagarosse
Rabaud Promis
Talbot

Beausejour-Becot
Lamothe Guignard
Lagrange

Canon
Doisy-Vedrines
Lynch-Bages

Canon La Gaffliere
Doisy-Daene
Duhart-Milon

Clos Fourtet

Brane-Cantenac

La Dominique

Sociando-Mallet

Gomerie



Valandruad





Fourth
Prieure-Lichine
Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Gazin
Filhot

Dufort-Vivens
Carbonnieux
L’Arrosee
De Malle
D’Issan
Fieuzal
Berliquet
Nairac
Kirwan
La Louviere
Franc Mayne
D’Arche
Malescot St-X
Olivier
Grand Mayne

Cantenac Brown
Branon
Couvent Des Jacobins

Du Tertre
Haut-Bergey
Pavie Decesse

Cantermerle
Bahans Haut Brion
Quinault L’Enclos

St-Pierre

Rol Valantin

Gloria

Troplong Mondot

Moulin De La Rose

Trotevieille

Leoville-Poyferre

La Grave a Pomerol

Grand Puy Ducasse

Nenin

D’Armhaillac

Petit-Village

Clerc Milon

Moulin St-George

Haut-Marbuzet

Le Gay

Lafon-Rochet

La Gaffaliere

Chasse-Spleen

Grand-Pontet

Poujeaux

La Tour Figeac


Carruades De Lafite

Le Bon Pasteur

Clos Du Marquis

Petit Cheval

Reserve De La Comtesse












Fifth
Rauzan-Gazzies
La Tour Martillac
Clos L’Oratoire


Lascombes
Malartic Lagraviere
Clos Rene

Ferriere

Rouget

Haut-Batailley

Chauvin

Batailley

Monbousquet

Haut Bages Liberal

Pavie

Lynch Moussas

Barde-Haut

Cos labory



Meyney



D’Angludet



Potensac




Pavillon Rouge





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