Does Grand Cru Make a Difference?

Many serious wine-lovers feel Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification is way out of whack.  After all, the system was determined over 150 years ago and it was based on what wines were the priciest at that time.   To determine the hierarchy in 1855, the wines were simply grouped in clusters….the top four most expensive wines became Premier Grand Cru, the next price group became the second level Grand Cru, and so on.  Only 61 of Bordeaux’s wineries in 1855 made that list.  Today, Bordeaux has over 10,000 producers and covers an area that stretches for 80 miles.   Bordeaux 2019 is a completely different world.

The Commanderie de Bordeaux, one of the USA’s most prestigious wine groups, had a recent seminar.  I am a member of the Commanderie and made sure I attended this important educational tasting titled, “The 1855 Classification----Is it Still Relevant?”   There were approximately 20 people present.  The format went something like this:

                ~ There were 4 flights of wines

                ~ Each wine flight had two wines from the same appellation

                ~ Prices ranged from $49 to $175 per bottle

This was a completely blind tasting.   The only information given was that each flight contained a chateau in the 1855 Classification, as well as a non-classified wine from the same appellation.  Our charge was twofold:

                        1.  Determine which wine was classified, and which was not.
                        2.  Determine the appellation of the wines.

      

Many of these serious Bordeaux aficianados were able to determine which wines were from the 1855 Classification...and which were not.  (Keep in mind these classified wines were nearly double the price of the non-classified step-sisters.)   There were, however, some members who could not determine which one was the more costly wine (classified).   Identifying the exact location from where the grapes were grown (appellation) proved to be more more challenging for the group as a whole.  While I nailed which were classified and which were not,  I mixed up some of the appellations (e.g. St Julien with its contiguous Pauillac appellation).  

The final analysis?   There are some non-classified wines today that are better crafted than those from the 1855 Classification.  There are Third and Fourth Growth Grand Cru that outrank some of the First and Second Growths.  Don’t be swayed by designer wine from any part of the world, but especially from Bordeaux where an archaic rating system prevails.  There are superb classified growths, and there are wonderful non-classified growths.   Similarly, there are classified growths that are worthy of their price, and some that are not.  

New Years resolution?   Trust you gut.  Don’t trust an outdated classification.  Perhaps a blind tasting of some of the non-classified growths with a few of the classified mixed in is in order to ring in your 2019 properly?