Short definition
A classified growth estate, primarily from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification that ranked châteaux into five tiers based on price and reputation.
In 1855, Napoleon III asked Bordeaux wine brokers to rank the region's top estates for the Paris World Fair. They created five tiers of "Crus Classés" based on the prices each château commanded. Only one change has been made since: Mouton Rothschild was promoted to First Growth in 1973. Saint-Émilion has its own classification, revised every ten years. Both carry weight on a wine label.