Bordeaux First Growths: A Guide to the World's Most Coveted Red Wines

The 1855 Bordeaux Classification — commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III for the Paris Universal Exposition and based on the trading prices of Médoc châteaux at the time — has proved, over 170 years, one of the most durable and consequential documents in the history of food and drink. It ranked 61 châteaux across five tiers, with the top tier — the Premiers Crus, or First Growths — comprising four Médoc estates: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion (included despite being in Pessac-Léognan, not the Médoc). In 1973, Château Mouton Rothschild was elevated from Second to First Growth — the only change made to the original classification. To this canonical five, Pomerol's Château Pétrus — unclassified but universally considered the world's most sought-after Bordeaux — is invariably added by any serious discussion of the category. Reference: bordeaux.com

**The Châteaux**

Château Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac): The most famous wine name in the world, producing a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend from a 112-hectare estate in Pauillac. Elegant, perfumed, and built for extreme longevity — great vintages (1982, 1996, 2000, 2010) require 20+ years of cellaring to reach full expression. Under the ownership of the Rothschild family since 1868. Reference: lafite.com

Château Margaux (Margaux): Perhaps the most romantic of the First Growths — its palatial 18th-century château is the visual archetype of Bordeaux grandeur. The wine, from a 262-hectare estate of which 80 hectares are planted to vine, is the most feminine and aromatic of the Médoc First Growths, built on clay-limestone soils in the Margaux appellation that produce Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional finesse. Reference: chateau-margaux.com

Château Latour (Pauillac): The most structured and powerful of the Left Bank First Growths — the Grand Vin de Château Latour is built for the longest aging of any Bordeaux, with great vintages requiring 25–40 years before reaching full maturity. Owned since 2008 by François Pinault (who also owns Kering, Christie's, and Palazzo Grassi in Venice). Reference: chateau-latour.com

Château Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan): The only non-Médoc estate in the 1855 classification, and the one with the longest continuous documented history — Thomas Jefferson visited and praised the wine in 1787. The estate, in the Pessac-Léognan appellation immediately south of Bordeaux city, produces a wine of exceptional individuality: earthier, more complex, and more immediately accessible than its Médoc peers. Owned by the Dillon family since 1935. Reference: haut-brion.com

Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac): Elevated to First Growth status in 1973 through the personal campaign of Baron Philippe de Rothschild — who had spent 40 years lobbying for the reclassification. Famous for its artist labels (Picasso, Warhol, Miró, Dalí, Francis Bacon have all contributed) and for producing, in the 1945, 1982, and 2000 vintages, wines that are among the most valuable ever offered at auction. Reference: chateau-mouton-rothschild.com

Château Pétrus (Pomerol): Unclassified because Pomerol has no official classification, yet consistently the most expensive Bordeaux in the world — production of approximately 30,000 bottles per year from a 11.4-hectare estate of almost pure clay soils in Pomerol, producing a Merlot-dominant wine (typically 95%+ Merlot) of extraordinary depth, voluptuousness, and longevity. Managed by Christian Moueix and the Moueix family since 1964. Available only through allocation; current release price exceeds $3,500/bottle. Reference: petrus.com

**Great Vintages**

1982 (the vintage that changed everything), 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2019 are universally recognised as the greatest recent vintages across the First Growths. The 2019 vintage — outstanding across both Left and Right Banks — is considered by many négociants the most consistently excellent since 2010.

**En Primeur**

The en primeur system — by which Bordeaux wines are sold as futures approximately six months after harvest, before bottling — remains the primary route to acquiring the First Growths at release prices. Through négociants such as Berry Bros & Rudd (bbr.com), Farr Vintners (farrvintners.com), or Wine Advocate-listed merchants, collectors can buy en primeur with delivery two years later. The secondary market through auction houses Christie's (christies.com) and Sotheby's (sothebys.com) allows purchase of mature vintages for immediate drinking.