The INAO has Spoken: the 2022 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé

.

Wine classification systems are a big deal in Bordeaux. Even beginning wine students are familiar with the area’s famous Classification of 1855, and advanced students can tell tales of the Crus Classés of Graves (1953), the Cru Artisan (2002), and the Cru Bourgeois (2020).

And then there is the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, established in 1954 and positioned to be more modern and democratic, subject to reclassification every ten years. The ranking has, however, been met with a great deal of controversy in recent years, beginning with rumblings that the system has become overly complex and politicized. This was followed by a dizzying plethora of court cases and legal challenges that nearly annulled the classifications of 2006 and 2012, and by the time the 2020s rolled around, many people were wondering how the system would even survive.

The past few years have brought about even more controversy as three of the region’s top-rated Châteaux—Château Angélus, Château Ausone, and Château Cheval-Blanc—opted out of the system and declined to submit applications for the 2022 rankings.

As such, there has been much debate about the future of the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. However, now we know: just this morning (September 8, 2022), France’s Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) has spoken, and the new classification has been released. Two properties—Château Figeac and Château Pavie—earned the coveted top ranking and are now recognized as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé A. Note: Château Pavie thus retained its “A” level designation from the previous classifications, and Château Figeac was promoted from the “B” classification it had previously earned.

An additional twelve properties earned the designation of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé B, while another 71 are hereby recognized as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Click here for a complete listing of the new rankings, as well as further information from the INAO.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org