Bordeaux Wine Guide: Sauternes & Barsac 1855 Classification

[Matthias R WHT]

It seems that the years running up to the Exposition Universelle de
Paris in 1855 were indeed busy for the merchants of Bordeaux. That
they were charged with drawing up a new classification of the red
wines of the Médoc, in order to facilitate showing the wines at the
exhibition, is well known. It is easy to forget, however, that the
sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac were classified along with their
red counterparts.

As with the wines of the Médoc, the sweet wines were classified
according to market value. It is not surprising that the Bordeaux
négociants already had firmly established league tables, based largely
on price (and therefore quality), and this knowledge formed the basis
for this particular Bordeaux classification.

The system is less complicated than the Médoc classification, with
essentially just two tiers, although within the higher ranking Yquem
is accorded special recognition with its rating as Premier Cru
Supérieur, an accolade unmatched by any wine from the Médoc. Below
this level come the remaining 25 properties, and they range right
across the quality spectrum, from the frequently delicious - such as
Rieussec, Coutet and Climens - to the rarely seen, which obviously
produce wines on which I am unable to comment. Here I am thinking of
estates such as Caillou, Myrat and Suau, to name three examples, all
second growth properties that should perhaps have a somewhat higher
profile.


Here I present the ranking of all 26 properties, as determined in
1855:

Premier Cru Supérieur
Chateau d'Yquem


Premiers Crus
Chateau Climens
Chateau Coutet
Chateau Guiraud
Clos Haut-Peyraguey
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Chateau Rabaud-Promis
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau
Chateau Rieussec
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud
Chateau Suduiraut
Chateau La Tour-Blanche


Deuxièmes Crus
Chateau d'Arche
Chateau Broustet
Chateau Caillou
Chateau Doisy-Daëne
Chateau Doisy-Dubroca
Chateau Doisy-Védrines
Chateau Filhot
Chateau Lamothe
Chateau Lamothe-Guignard
Chateau de Malle
Chateau de Myrat
Chateau Nairac
Chateau Romer du Hayot
Chateau Suau


With all such classifications the first question usually trotted out
is relevance. What does this classification mean to us today? In quite
straightforward terms I would argue none at all, and I would suggest
that those who proffer a newly revised classification simply suffer
from a lack of imagination. This is an item of historical interest,
nothing more. The wines were classified to inform visitors to an
exhibition, more than 150 years ago, as to which wines should impress
them most, assuming those that cost the most also tasted the best.
Today, the world is populated by a very different body of consumers,
and to be frank very few of these consumers have any interest in
Bordeaux, never mind the communes of Sauternes of Barsac, at all.
Those that do, however, buy on tasting experience, track record and
critical review, and for the latter they usually pay a handsome
subscription fee. It may be that many of the high ranking properties
continue to dominate the trade, that the premier cru estates on the
whole tend to be better known, and tend to make better wines, than
those ranked as deuxième cru. But this is not an unchallengeable
assertion; there are a number of wines that frequently disappoint, as
well as some that punch well above their weight - their weight in
1855, that is. It is these properties that show classifications such
as this to be nothing more than an historical curiosity that we should
all summarily acknowledge, and then summarily ignore, before moving on
to taste and explore the wines of the region for ourselves.



- Wine Doctor. 30 Nov 2007.