fine wine
Not all the châteaux of the Bordeaux are the same.
Some are better than others, and, to help us choose, the French helpfully created a classification in 1855 of the Medoc. These were the wines that achieved the highest prices at auction, and the list is very largely the same today as it was in 1855. The wines that were classified were called ‘Grands Crus’ and they were divided into five groups. The ‘premier’ Grand Crus, originally four and now five, the ‘deuxieme’ Crus, the ‘troisieme’ Crus, the ‘quatrieme’ Crus and the ‘cinquieme’ Crus – the second, third, fourth and fifth growths. Expect to pay a high price if the label says ‘Grand Cru’. Between these great and famous Grands Crus and the
common or garden châteaux of Bordeaux is an interme- diary rank, known as the ‘Cru Bourgeois’. This is a rank applied to wines that are a cut above the others, but not in the Grand Cru league. Generally speaking you can find good value in this rank, as you’re not paying for a great name, just a good wine. You can also find Cru Bourgeois ‘superieur’, which, as its name suggests, is better still.
Burgundy bottled In Burgundy the same principle applies, that is the more specific the geographical information, the better the wine. Take Chablis for example. The most generic is ‘Petit Chablis’, an appellation that covers a large area. Then there’s Chablis Proper, a smaller area. Then there’s Chablis Premier Cru, which is a much smaller area comprised of the best parts of the Chablis region. Lastly there’s Chablis Grand Cru, which comes from a large south-facing field lying to the north of the town of Chablis. This large field is divided into seven sections, each one a Grand Cru. You’ll notice that in Burgundy the words ‘Grand Cru’
apply to a geographical area, not to a classification as they do in Bordeaux. In effect, the words ‘Premier Cru’ and ‘Grand Cru’ in Burgundy tell you more exactly where the wine is from.
‘If it’s a French label, the rule to bear in mind is that the more specific the information as to where the wine came from, the better the wine’
Summer 2011 Irish Director 67
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