COUPS DE COEUR

THIS CELLAR'S HIGHEST SCORING WINES

EVERYDAY DRINKING

LIONEL DESPRES, CUVÉE ANNEMARIE ET ARMAND DESMURES, AOP CHIROUBLES, 2020, LOT 3437, P58 CHÂTEAU MOUTIN, AOC GRAVES, VIGNOBLES J. DARRIET, 2016, LOTS 3386, 3387, 3388, P31

CELLARING POTENTIAL

CHÂTEAU TAILLEFER, AOC POMEROL, BERNARD MOUEIX, 2018, LOT 3405, P36 PRÉLUDE À GRANDPUY DUCASSE, AOC PAUILLAC, 2018 (PART OF MIXED CASE), LOT 3412, P71

rather than vineyard sites. This means that a classified growth purchasing a neighbouring vineyard from a non-classified estate can immediately incorporate it and increase the amount of wine they produce. Many classed growths have significantly increased their vineyard holdings since 1855. Wine quality can change over the years – in either direction – but the classification has remained the same, apart from the notable exception of Mouton Rothschild, which became a First Growth in 1973 after years of lobbying. Estates recognized for producing the highest quality wines command higher prices than their peers, such as the group of “super seconds” which includes Châteaux Pichon Baron and Ducru-Beaucaillou.

Despite a longer wine history that goes back to the Romans, the first classification of Saint-Émilion wines was not made until 1955. Trying to address some of the limitations of the 1855 system, Saint-Émilion classified specific vineyards based on soils and implemented reviews of the classification approximately every ten years. Despite their best intentions, the system is controversial and has created dissatisfaction, leading to several top estates withdrawing from the classification system. There are also classifications for Cru Bourgeois and the red and white wines of the Graves/Pessac Léognan region with different rules and criteria. Yet Pomerol, home to some of Bordeaux’s most expensive and sought-after wines, has none. Any classification is a snapshot in time, not a guarantee of absolute quality. Not being classified doesn’t necessarily mean lower potential: there are high-potential sites that for whatever reason were never included in a classification. It takes time and resources to gain recognition. Being classed is certainly an advantage, but the smartest classed estates don’t rest on their laurels. They are continually looking for ways to improve wine quality, which continues to build reputation and demand, which in turn increases prices paid, allowing the estate to re-invest in quality and creating a virtuous circle.