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.

Interestingly, since it is a classification of Châteaux, the actual vineyards owned by some wineries have expanded and shrunk without any reclassification. Because of this, the government proposed revising the classification in 1961 and deleting 17 producers. However, the negative impact on prices that would be received by the affected châteaux led to strong political pressures and the government backed down.

Most wine critics agree that the 1855 Classification is now out of date. Robert M. Parker, Jr. argues that the classification has long created an injustice to consumers because it has caused mediocre wines to be sold for too much and good wine to be sold for too little. He says that the archaic classification “should be regarded by both the wine connoisseur and the novice as informational items of historical significance only.” (Ironically, the same criticism - that oenophiles follow this dogma slavishly and uncritically when the matters are in fact variable and subjective - has been leveled against their adherence to the writings and ratings of Mr. Parker himself. See the section regarding his controversial influence.) Determining an up-to-date classification is a favorite parlor game, especially among French wine enthusiasts.

Many of the better wines from Bordeaux that were not included in the 1855 classification are classified as Cru Bourgeois, a classification system that is updated on a regular basis since 1932.

First Growths (Premiers or 1er Crus)

• Château Lafite-Rothschild, Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Médoc (archaically known as Château de la Fite, Laffite, Lafitte)
• Château Latour, Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Médoc (archaically known as La Tour de Segur)
• Château Margaux, Commune de Margaux (archaically known as Château Margau)
• Château Haut-Brion, Commune de Pessac, Graves (archaically known as Château Hautbrion, Houtbrion, Ho-Bryan, Obryan, Ho Bryen)
• Château Mouton Rothschild, Commune de Pauillac, Haut-Médoc
  (reclassified from Second Growth status in 1973) (archaically known as Château Branne-Mouton)

All the Growths with great Bordeaux Wines