Bordeaux red wines, not included in the classification of 1855, are fantastically good. But attempts to classify them constantly led to confusion and contradictions. Master of Wine Clive Coates followed the bumpy history of the local CRU bourgeois.

Here is an example of interesting statistics.
In 1997, Farr Vintners sold during the an example of a box of Château Les Ormes de Pez 1996 for £155 and Château Lafite for £950. 14 years later, the prices on vintage 2010 was £240 and £12,500 respectively. Thus, the Les Ormes de Pez barely caught up with inflation, but Lafite has risen more than 13 times.

I have long said that the top bardossy (about 40 wines) asking for his wine awkward money, while the rest are traded at levels attractive as ever. If you consider how many wines are now level Ormes de Pez and it kind of didn’t need to be a genius to understand what to invest in.

Wines CRU bourgeois worth a special look.

Leave exorbitant claims Premier Cru and “super second” wines. In addition, the wine class below can start to drink earlier.

So, strictly speaking, all wine CRU Bourgeois was divided into:

• crus bourgeois
• crus bourgeois supérieurs
• crus bourgeois exceptionnels

Anyone who has attempted to trace and understand the history of different classifications CRU Bourgeois du Medoc over the years (not actively covered by the press, how are things in Saint-émilion), could note how often the time and effort of the Association medokskih CRU Bourgeois (as well as experts and brokers, which she was trying to attract to determine the status of households) had been wasted. Did not have time to approve another list, as there were lawyers and began to specify what to “interested parties” on the unfair evaluation, the blunders of the whole system. And too often, a new classification of defective, old declared obsolete, and the producers hope that their efforts finally will be rewarded, has been defeated.

What we have today.

You’ve probably heard about the wines of the “CRU bourgeois of exeptional” (crus bourgeois exceptionnels).So: forget them as a class – it no longer exists. Moreover, the vast majority were there farms left the clearing, coming generally from the Association of CRU Bourgeois. Ie even if the category will recover, then they are already there will not be included.

At the moment there is only one category – the most basic cru bourgeois.

And it’s absurd.

The History Of The CRU Bourgeois

Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the end made for Mouton Rothschild 1r Cru status in 1973. But apart from that ran through the wall cracks, the entire structure continued to stand in place.

The part of the owners of estates “bourgeois” began to worry that the status exceptionnel, instead of pushing towards a revision of the system of CRU classé 1855, give the opposite effect.

One of them was Henri Martin (Henri Martin), the founder of Château Gloria. Non-profit in the 1930-40s he assembled from separate sections of the Gloria CRU classé in Saint-Julien.

Saint-Julien is Saint-Julien: vines with unclassified plots were no less promising, in terms of quality. All recognize that Gloria was at CRU 3rd grade. However, Martin refused to join the Association CRU bourgeois. And he was not alone in this. According to his son-in-law of Jean Louis Trio (Jean-Louis Triaud), the adoption status of the bourgeoisie – albeit exceptionnel – closed to château Gloria wines within the second division.

Despite the revision of the 1932 classification, published in 1966 and revised again in 1978, declared 18 CRU exeptionel (exceptionnel), 41 CRU bourgeois Superiore (bourgeois supérieurs), including 9 in the bas-médoc (Bas-Médoc) region, which 1932м was considered to be generally not worthy of attention – and 58 CRU bourgeois (crus bourgeois).

Meanwhile, after Henri Martin to the system refused to join other households, including: Châteaux d’angludet, Bel-Air Marquis d’aligre, La Couronne, Moulin-Riche (at the time the second wine of Léoville-Poyferré) and Siran.

In 2003 took place the next revision. And then the problems started.

The Association of CRUs Bourgeois has announced the list of the 247 properties in three categories: 9 eksepsionel, 87 Superiore and 151 of the bourgeois. Then above the list faced a crowd of lawyers.

As in the past, major decisions were entrusted to the team of experienced people of the leading wine brokers of the time, part – oenologists, sommeliers and merchants; but he’s also the President of the Alliance CRU Bourgeois of the Medoc. However, they, as claimed by the lawyers, was stakeholders. In this regard, the court of appeal, withdrawing in 2007 a new classification, held that “one cannot be a judge in the subject matter, having in it a personal interest”. Thereafter, the Bureau for combating Fraud went further, banning the use of the term “CRU bourgeois” as such.

“Into the woods”

This latest stupidity is fixed in 2009, returning the classification. Since then, households who want to get the list of the “bourgeois” can apply for inclusion. However, now it is a single category. And look at the sign:

Most of the best farms (in fact, almost all of the best) did not show to the new system the slightest interest

I wrote in the economy, which, for various reasons, did not want to enter into an Association. I wanted to know why?

Some, including representatives of Château Sociando-Mallet and Château Chasse-Spleen, pointed to the fact that now every farm must annually provide each wine for approval the succession now, however, is not implied. And therefore, this is no longer a classification.

Besides, the solution in wine is not disclosed until the end of the season an-example.

Director of sales Léoville-Las Cases and other farms Delon, including Potensac, considers it absurd that the requirements of the authorities extend not only to the quality of the wine, but also on the landscaped area of the Chateau and the reception quality of its visitors.

Henri Dubosc (Henri Duboscq) of Château Haut-Marbuzet outraged by the prospect to become a par with the wines that are sold twice cheaper than its.

But the MIEL Edouard (Edouard Miailhe) of Château Siran – on the contrary, believes that it would be nice to get back to the 2003 version, which was good as a guide for consumers.

Finally, I can not mention the lack of logic in what is happening. If in 2003, experienced team who make key decisions, have accused that they have allowed personal interests to interfere in the process, it is obvious that today those interests have not gone away merely because now the game is on a single field, lower level. A controversial issue.

Those who are able to make the most informed decisions – it is inevitable that the people closest to the subject, who in the middle of it. Ie professionals who have there interests, even personal, even though the property, at least some. If this reasoning, then you can do without wine classifications remain. Château Lafite without them is cost, but the Château Nouveauet-et-Inconnu it would be very useful.