What does Graves have to do with Crus?
Crus - these are wines from wineries in the Graves wine region that belong to the 1953 classification of Graves wines. The Graves wine region in Bordeaux was highlighted especially for red and white wine.
By the way: The classification of wine from the Médoc (1855) and the classification of wine from Saint-Émilion (1955) only classified wineries that produced a red wine as their first wine. The classification of wine from Sauternes focused on dessert wine.
When it comes to the classification of wine from Graves, only wineries from the Pessac-Léognan appellation have been classified. However, the appellation has only had its status since 1987. A distinction is made as to whether a winery produces red wine, white wine or both as a first wine. This classification is therefore the only one of its kind in Bordeaux that also allows white wine to be promoted to a cru.
By the way: Château Haut-Brion is located in Graves and belongs to the Pessac-Leógnan appellation. However, the winery was already included in the classification of wine from the Médoc in 1855. Since then, Château Haut-Brion has belonged to the Premier Grand Cru Classé and not to the Cru Classé de Graves.
The Pessac-Léognan appellation is on the left bank of the Garonne river. The Garonne is a branch of the Gironde river, which flows into the Atlantic. Since Pessac-Léognan is on the left bank, it is also referred to as the left bank. This also applies to the wine-growing regions in the Médoc and Sauternes. Of course, there is also a right bank of the river. The right bank in Bordeaux refers to the Saint-Émilion appellation and the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.
The Crus from Graves, i.e. the left bank, are top-class wineries. These Crus are called this because the quality levels of the classification have the word "Cru". In 1953, selected wineries from Graves were classified and divided into three groups.
These three groupings of Crus from Graves are known:
Cru Classé de Graves (red & white wine):
A winery that belongs to the Cru Classé de Graves (red & white wine) produces a red wine and a white wine as a first wine.
- Château Bouscaut
- Château Carbonnieux
- Château Latour-Martillac
- Château Malartic-Lagravière
- Château Olivier
- Domaine de Chevalier
Cru Classé de Graves (red wine):
The Cru Classé de Graves (red wine) is a group of wineries that only market a red wine as their first wine.
- Château de Fieuzal
- Château Haut-Bailly
- Château la Mission Haut-Brion
- Château la Tour Haut-Brion
- Château Pape Clément
- Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Cru Classé de Graves (white wine):
Wineries that only produce white wine as their first wine and belong to the Cru Classé de Graves (white wine).
- Château Couhins
- Château Couhins-Lurton
- Château Laville Haut-Brion
By the way: Château Laville Haut-Brion has not produced white wine since 2009. The grapes are used to make the white wine from Château la Mission Haut-Brion.
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