Grand Cru Classé en 1855 – abstract edition

The unique collection of all 1855 Classified Châteaux.

Each work of art is unique.

On the occasion of the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, Emperor Napoleon III commissioned a classification of the Gironde vineyards.
He commissioned the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, which involved the wine merchants of „La Place de Bordeaux“ (a complex wine distribution system since the 17th century). The mission was to create an official classification based on many years of experience.
This classification should take into account the quality of the terroir and the reputation of each growth.
The information was based on the most reliable sources.

Published on 18 April 1855, the classification reflected the reality of a market that had been developing for over a century.

The price of the wines at that time, as quoted by the wine merchants, was the most important factor for the classification.
Added to this was the fame of the wineries and their „quality“. Today it is no longer comprehensible how these different criteria were weighted.

The price ranking was as follows:
First growth Bordeaux – prices over 3,000 French francs per barrel.

Second growth Bordeaux – prices between 2,500 and 2,700 French francs per barrel.

Third growth Bordeaux – prices between 2,100 and 2,400 French francs per barrel.

Fourth growth Bordeaux – Prices between 1,800 and 2,100 French francs per barrel.

Fifth growth Bordeaux – Prices between 1,400 and 1,600 French francs per barrel.