For the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus). All of the red wines that made it on the list came from the Médoc region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves. The white wines, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from first great growth to second growth.
Within each category, the various châteaux are ranked in order of quality and only twice since the 1855 classification has there been a change, first when in 1856 Château Cantemerle was added as a fifth growth and, more significantly, in 1973, when Château Mouton Rothschild was elevated from a second growth to a first growth vineyard after decades of intense lobbying by the powerful Philippe de Rothschild. A third, but less known "change", is the removal of Château Dubignon, a third growth from St.-Julien that was absorbed into the estate Château Malescot St. Exupéry
Premiers crus (First Growths)
Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac
Château Margaux, Margaux
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
Deuxièmes crus (Second Growths)
Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
Château Cos d´Estournel, Saint-Estèphe
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien
Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux
Château Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien
Château Lascombes, Margaux
Château Léoville Las Cases, Saint-Julien
Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien
Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe
Château Pichon Longueville Baron de Pichon, Pauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux
Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux
Troisièmes crus (Third Growths)
Château Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux
Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe
Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux
Château Desmirail, Margaux
Château Ferrière, Margaux
Château Giscours, Margaux
Château d´Issan, Margaux
Château Kirwan, Margaux
Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien
Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc
Château Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien
Château Malescot Saint Exupéry, Margaux
Château Marquis d´Alesme Becker, Margaux
Château Palmer, Margaux
Quatrièmes crus (Fourth Growth)
Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien
Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien
Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc
Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux
Château Pouget, Margaux
Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien
Château Talbot, Saint-Julien
Cinquièmes crus (Fifth Growths)
Château d´Armailhac, Pauillac
Château Batailley, Pauillac
Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc
Château Camensac, Haut-Médoc
Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac
Château Cos Labory, Saint-Estèphe
Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac
Château Dauzac, Margaux
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac
Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac
Château Pedesclaux, Pauillac
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Château du Tertre, Margaux
