Classification Les Crus Bourgeois Du Médoc
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2020 Classification Les Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Press Kit Contents The results of the blind EDITORIAL 4 tastings BEING A CRU BOURGEOIS 6 are finally PRESENTATION OF THE NEW CLASSIFICATION revealed OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MÉDOC 8 FIVE MAIN PRINCIPLES 10 A PYRAMID CLASSIFICATION WITH THREE LEVELS 12 BECOMING A CRU BOURGEOIS 13 BECOMING A CRU BOURGEOIS SUPÉRIEUR OR A CRU BOURGEOIS EXCEPTIONNEL 14 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MÉDOC 16 THE CRU BOURGEOIS STICKER 19 RESULTS OF THE 2020 CLASSIFICATION OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MÉDOC 20 THE HISTORY OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS 24 KEY FIGURES 26 MAP OF THE MÉDOC 27 2 3 Editorial 20.02.2020 is an important date for the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc! Nearly nine years of work were necessary to establish this classification. “The new classification has been created to enable more fluid, longer-term marketing with visibility for five years. The hierarchical structure should enable a clearer explanation of this very large family of wines, and for the châteaux at the top who act as “locomotives” to stay with us, or in some cases to come back”. Olivier Cuvelier, President of the Alliance of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc 4 5 Being a Cru Bourgeois A proudly upheld identity The Crus Bourgeois are a family of châteaux located on terroirs recognized for their quality all over the world, located in eight major appellations in the Médoc: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, To Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Saint Estèphe. Comprised solely of red wines each day that offer excellent value for money, the Crus Bourgeois du “ Médoc are one of Bordeaux’s its Cru historic institutions. They offer a very diverse range of characters, wherein lies their Bourgeois richness and their strength. They all provide reliable, enjoyable drinking, while also remaining accessible. ” 6 7 Presentation of the new classification Visibility for five years This new classification The new Crus Bourgeois du Médoc of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification introduces a significant is a testimony change to the annual quality procedure to the dynamism Published in 2020 by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, established in 2010. The châteaux are of the Crus Bourgeois. now classified for a period of five years. the new classification of the “Crus Bourgeois du Médoc” is open to any property authorized to produce wine in one of the eight following AOCs: The 2020 classification classifies For Laurent Vaché, Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, Margaux, properties for the 2018, 2019, 2020, Vice-President of the Alliance Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. Simple and structured, 2021 and 2022 vintages. des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, it is a gift to be passed it helps to clarify the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc offer, Three historic on to future generations. and to regroup the family around the top châteaux hierarchical categories that consistently work to the highest standards. A return to its roots for this family of wines that for centuries had been “This was classified according to a qualitative a stepping-stone hierarchy: in the Crus Bourgeois CRU BOURGEOIS du Médoc adventure. CRU BOURGEOIS SUPÉRIEUR We all wanted the Cru CRU BOURGEOIS EXCEPTIONNEL Bourgeois designation These levels will therefore again appear to continue to exist on the wines’ labels for 5 years. There are no restrictions on intake in any as it had done for category. several centuries.” Independence and impartiality The classification is based on a schedule of requirements and a rigorous verification procedure, approved by the French public authorities, which define the criteria and conditions for properties applying for entry. It is also overseen by an independent verification body, QB Vérification, which ensures total independence, reinforced by strict checks at every stage of the process. 8 9 Five main principles Overseen by a verification body, the classification is based on five pillars: the quality of the wine, the environment, the study of additional criteria, traceability and authentication, and tasting checks. Quality of the wine guaranteed A sticker, traceability The 2020 Classification by a committee of tasters & authentication of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc A committee of tasters trained For the consumer, the Crus Bourgeois is the promise of an expertise, born of in the specific requirements of the Crus du Médoc are a trusted source. Bourgeois du Médoc carries out a blind The systematic presence of an the boldness and high-quality standards of tasting to check the consistency of the authentication sticker in the form of passionate winegrowers and professionals. quality of each wine and its capacity a QR code provides a basic guarantee to improve with age. of the product’s authenticity. In the face of ever-more demanding consumers and actors in the wine market, Encouraging sustainable, Regular tasting checks being included in the Crus Bourgeois environmentally responsible Once the classification has been winegrowing established, ongoing verification du Médoc classification is the guarantee Approaches encouraging sustainable, of the wines’ quality will be ensured of rigorous, objective, upstream environmentally responsible winegrowing by the verification body who will checks on quality. are encouraged. Every château in the conduct random tasting checks classification must now demonstrate that at the châteaux throughout it has undertaken action by obtaining the five-year classification. High Environmental Value certification. New criteria studied Two new criteria will be considered for properties applying for the higher categories, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel: technical management, from the vine to the bottle, and the marketing and promotion of the property’s wines. 10 11 A pyramidal classification Becoming a with three levels Cru Bourgeois The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc’s ambition is clear: The basic level of the classification “We want to raise the entire Crus Bourgeois family as high is Cru Bourgeois. Candidates must meet the minimum tasting quality level, as possible”, declares Armelle Cruse, Vice-President i.e. level 3 in the sensory analysis. of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc. This quest for quality means, for every property, the submission For the 2020 classification, a specific measure allowed châteaux that had of an application and a rigorous selection process conducted obtained Cru Bourgeois recognition by a verification body enabling access to the ranks of at least five times during the nine the Cru Bourgeois and then possibly to the higher vintages from 2008 to 2016 to be categories of Cru Bourgeois Supérieur granted Cru Bourgeois status without and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. carrying out the sensory analysis. The environmental requirement begins Submission of an application Sensory analysis at the first level of the classification: and sensory analysis are the preliminary candidates must provide evidence stages common to all three levels. The verification body collected samples of commitment to a Level 2 that it then sealed and made anonymous. High Environmental Value (HEV2) approach. Applications are A vertical blind tasting of five vintages scrupulously checked of the same wine was then carried out enabling the allocation of an average Each property had to submit an score for the wine by two committees application no later than 30 September of five independent tasters. 2018. These applications were checked by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois The score obtained by the wine in this du Médoc and then by sensory analysis determines a level 1, 2 the verification body. or 3 and hence the eligibility of the wine to each level Only applications meeting of the classification. all the requirements and conditions of the specifications and the verification procedure were eligible for classification. Each candidate had to indicate the level of the Classification for which they were applying. 12 13 Becoming a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur or Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Candidates may apply for the higher categories The top of the pyramid enabling them to become a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur The establishment of the Crus or Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. To do this, the château Bourgeois du Médoc classification must be assessed on three main criteria. and recognition in the higher categories of Crus Bourgeois Supérieur or Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel are determined by Strict selection criteria Detailed information a six-person jury: Gilles de Revel, Those in the higher presenting the château’s DNA President of the jury, Bill Blatch, categories show the way Criteria 1, corresponds to effective Vice-President of the jury, two HEV2 certification of the property, For the study of criteria 2 and 3, independent tasters from the initial to the other properties justifying its commitment candidates must submit an application committee of tasters, a technical expert in the context of 2025 to sustainable winegrowing containing a maximum of 50 pages. and a marketing and promotion expert Criteria 2, consisting of five points, This should cover the 5 themes of each also from the committee of experts. classification thereby seeks to verify actions implemented criterion and may be written in whatever creating a spirit of manner the candidates wish. It is an The six jury members judge, at each step of the management anonymously, criteria 2 and 3 emulation within of production to optimize the quality opportunity for candidates to highlight their strong points. for each candidate on the basis of the Crus Bourgeois and character of the wine (vineyard, the assessments and scores from harvest, winery, bottling, quality family Assessment by experts the experts, and the obtaining of assurance system) the minimum score of twelve points Criteria 3, also consisting of five points, A committee of ten experts worked to be eligible for a higher category. concerns the promotion on the study of the additional criteria. They also consider the tasting results of the wine (promotion of the site, Selected according to their references to ensure that the required score quality of the reception of visitors, and their area of expertise - technical or is reached.