Collection: Third Growth (Médoc)

What does 3ème Grand Cru Classé actually mean?

You have certainly noticed the designation 3ème Grand Cru Classé or Troisième Grand Cru Classé on the label of a bottle of red wine.

First of all, 3ème Grand Cru Classé refers to a quality level. In Bordeaux there is a classification of wineries in the Médoc. This happened in 1855. You will often find this year on the wine label. Of course, this has nothing to do with the vintage of the red wine.

In 1855, a classification was carried out for the Médoc wine-growing region based on the quality and price of the wines produced by the wineries. Five groups were created in a hierarchical manner. The third highest level is the 3ème Grand Cru Classé.

There are five quality levels:

• 1er Grand Cru Classé
• 2ème Grand Cru Classé
• 3ème Grand Cru Classé
• 4ème Grand Cru Classé
• 5ème Grand Cru Classé

These wineries qualified for the Troisième Grand Cru Classé:

• Château Boyd-Cantenac
• Château Calon-Ségur
• Château Cantenac-Brown
• Château d'Issan
• Château Desmirail
• Château Ferrière
• Château Giscours
• Château Kirwan
• Château La Lagune
• Château Lagrange
• Château Langoa-Barton
• Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry
• Château Marquis d'Alesme-Becker
• Château Palmer

Remember: There are about 6,100 wineries in Bordeaux!
Of these, only 61 wineries belong to the five-level classification of wine from the Médoc (1855)!

For wine collectors, such exclusive wines from the 3ème Grand Cru Classé are ideal for collecting. The quality and storage capacity of these red wines are what sets them apart. This means that these wines can remain in the wine cellar for a longer period of time.

So collect 3ème Grand Cru wine now!