Bordeaux Wine Classifications

Scott, Balaban's restaurant manager and I had a chat the other day that went something like this:
Scott: Do you ever have trouble coming up with ideas for your blogs?
Me: Sometimes it's a challenge to come up with brilliant material every week.
Scott: Uh-huh.
.... moments of awkward silence ....
Scott again: Why don't you write about the Bordeaux growth classifications. That always confused me.
Me: Great idea. Next blog.
So here we are.
Bordeaux makes some of the world's greatest red and white wines, and it is probably my personal favorite wine region.
First a quick geography lesson.
Bordeaux is divided into two main regions that are divided by the Gironde river: The Right Bank region and the Left Bank, also know as the Medoc.
In 1855 during the Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification of the best wine producers, or Chateaux, from the Left Bank. This would only apply to the red wines.
There were a few changes since 1855, but the classifications exist to this day.
There are five levels or "growth" that intend to rank the chateaux according to their levels of quality.
Today there are 5 First Growths, 15 Second Growths, 14 Third Growths, 10 Fourth Growths and 18 Fifth Growths for a total of 62 Classified Growths.
Here are the 5 First Growths, and some notable 2nd through 5th Growths with their respective appellations:

1st Growth
Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Chateau Latour, Pauillac
Chateau Margaux, Margaux
Chateau Haut-Brion, Graves
Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
2nd Growth
Chateau Leoville Las Cases, St. Julien
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St. Julien
ChateauCos Destournel, St. Estephe
3rd Growth
Chateau Giscours, Margaux
Chateau Palmer, Margaux
4th Growth
Chateau Talbot, St. Julien
Chateau Duhart-Milon, Pauillac
5th Growth
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac

So, do I think Scott learned anything from this?
Nah.
He just wanted to see his name in the blog.
Have a great weekend.

Tom

Bordeaux

Scott