Grand Cru Classé is a French labelling term that was introduced in 1855, at a time when Paris was hosting the Universal Exposition. Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification of the wines of Bordeaux – and the French Wine Trade Association at the time ranked the wines according to price and reputation. The classification ONLY covers the wines of Médoc and Sauternes and groups the wines into five growths (categories) – with fifth growth being the least prestigious and first growth the most prestigious. This classification has remained static ever since, with one small change in the 1970s, when Château Mouton Rothschild was promoted from second growth to first.
