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EDITORIAL
SYLVAIN PATARD - EDITOR IN CHIEF
CRUS BOURGEOIS REACH
FOR THE SKY
category of Bordeaux wine reserved for the Médoc,
A Crus Bourgeois in some ways live in the shadow of
the 1855-classified Grands Crus. In actual fact, though,
their origins stem from the same source. Several centuries
ago, in the market town of Bordeaux under English
rule, merchants were allowed to sell wines produced
from their vineyards levy-free both locally and in export
markets. The privilege would enable them to make their
fortune and they would go on to buy the finest vineyards
in the Médoc as early as the 15th century. At the time, the
term ‘Bourgeois’ referred only to its original meaning of
‘town dweller’ (‘bourg’ means town) and not to any kind
of social class.
After a chequered history, their crowning moment finally
came in the 20th century with landmark dates such as
1935 – the first real classification – then 1962 with the
inception of the Médoc Crus Bourgeois producers’ organisation
and 1979, when the Crus Bourgeois statement
was permitted on labels. The last decade has allowed
them to fully get up to speed and they are now unanimously
hailed by both the trade and consumers. The
reason for this is that they offer both good price points
and quality due to demanding specifications whose
primary focus is on site-expressiveness. It is essential
to remember that they account for over 30% of Médoc
production with some 28 million bottles annually. From
this perspective, at the very least, they are on a par with
the Grands Crus Classés. Probably their only remaining
challenge is to nurture their image as successfully as
the great growths have done and become an essential
component of the market, both in France and internationally.
They have certainly gone a long way towards
achieving that already.
6 AUTUMN 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE