On April 18, 1855, Bordeaux’s Chambre de Commerce unveiled a rapid-fire ranking of 87 Médoc and Sauternes estates for the Paris Universal Exposition. Built on courtier‐reported market prices rather than blind tastings, the list distinguished five crus for Médoc and a hierarchy from Premier Cru Supérieur to Deuxième Cru for Sauternes and Barsac.
Though not the first wine hierarchy—earlier parish‐based pricing (1755) and Thomas Jefferson’s 1787 “first growth” notes predated it—the 1855 list was meant as a one‑off. Instead, it endured, evolving into the near‑sacred “bible” of classified growths. Its longevity owes much to its brand focus: château names tied to flexible vineyard holdings, rather than rigid parcel rules.
Remarkably, only two amendments have occurred: Château Cantemerle’s belated inclusion in 1856 and Mouton‑Rothschild’s promotion from second to first growth in 1973 by ministerial decree. Meanwhile, other regions have tried—and often stumbled—with their own rankings: Pomerol under Vichy in 1942, Graves in 1953, Saint‑Émilion’s rolling review from 1955, and Baixas blocked by an Iberian namesake.
Experts praise the system’s virtues of stability and clear hierarchy—a welcome anchor in turbulent markets. Yet it is, at heart, a marketing triumph: a brand classification that continues to define value, command attention and spark debate 170 years on. Even Napoleon III, who authorized it, could scarcely have imagined his ranking would become Bordeaux’s golden goose.