How does the Global Wine Score fit to the Bordeaux wine classifications?

There are plenty of classifications for Bordeaux wines. The main one exists since 1855 and concerns left bank Bordeaux wines (1er Cru Classé, 2eme, etc, …). Other parts of Bordeaux vineyards also benefit from classifications as Saint Emilion and Graves. Concerning Pomerol, although some producers are very famous and recognized (Petrus, Lafleur, Le Pin, etc,…), there is no classification concerning them.

It seems interesting to compare wines issued from these different wine classifications using the Global Wine Score. We should be able to see that way how actual or modern are those rankings.

The graph below shows the Global Wine Score for vintage 2016. Two categories, Super Seconds and Grands Pomerol, are included in this graph even if they are not official. Super Seconds are the wines generally admitted as the main challengers for 1er Cru Classé .

According to this graph, wines from 1er Cru Classé are globally above all the other categories. The only wines that may challenge them on this 2016 vintage are Leoville Las Cases (2eme Cru Classe), Ausone and Cheval Blanc (1er Cru Classe A from Saint Emilion) and Le Pin, Lafleur and Petrus from Pomerol. This consideration already highlights one fact: Pomerol has no official classification and some of the wines have scores as high as the 1er Cru Classe en 1855.

Wines from 2eme Cru Classe have scores scattered from 90 to 98 pts. with neithertheless a greater concentration of points above 95 pts. Then, 3eme, 4eme and 5eme Cru Classe are globally lower and underneath 95pts with few exceptions that are generally included in Super Seconds (Palmer, Pontet Canet and Lynch Bages). Calon Ségur and Grand Puy Lacoste have also equivalent scores to these Super Seconds.

Super Seconds wines (Montrose, Palmer, Pontet Canet, PichonCOmtesse, Cos d’Estournel, Lynch Bages and Leoville Barton) are globally equivalent to the uppert part of 2eme Cru Classe, above 95 pts.

Concerning Saint Emilion, classification fits well to this 2016 vintage. 1er Cru Classe A wines are globally above B category with one exception, Figeac which has a score equivalent to Pavie and Angélus. Grand Cru Classe de Saint Emilion is beneath these two first categories.

Pomerol has wines divided in two different groups, above and beneath 95 pts with very top wines as seen earlier in this article (Petrus, Lafleur, Le Pin).

Grand Cru Classe de Graves has wines pretty scattered going from 90 to 97 points with La Mission Haut Brion at the very top with a score of 97.04.

In order to see if these classifications are really meaningful through the years, this study compares Bordeaux wines classification from 1855 to Saint Emilion classification Premier cru classé A and B, since 2000.

The chart below presents the evolutions of the average Global Wine Score of these classifications from 2000 to 2016.

Globally, the five classifications from 1855 fit the scores. 1er Cru Classé wines are 2 to 3 points above 2eme cru classé. Then, 3eme, 4eme and 5eme Cru classé are 2 to 3 points lower in terms of scores.

Concerning Saint Emilion wines, the scores through the years also correspond to the respective classifications of 1er Cru Classé A and 1er Cru Classé B. The difference varies from 2 to 4 points on the 15 last vintages.

In terms of scores, 1er Cru Classé en 1855 has very close scores to 1er Cru Classe A especially in the last years. 2eme Cru Classe en 1855 and 1er Cru Classe B have also very tight scores when compared.

An interesting fact also appears and is confirmed on this graph. According to the respective scores, wines from 2eme Cru Classe, 1er Cru Classe A and B have better scores when vintages are good (2009 and 2010) than 1er Cru Classe with a bad vintage (2013).

A very interesting point though, 3, 4 and 5th classification seem to blur the difference between each other and could almost be one entire group.

Conclusion

This article highlights something already admitted in wine sector: the 1855 classification seems to be not actual, when taking into account wine quality (through wine critics scores). 1er Cru Classe wines have globally scores above other categories, this is true. But some producers have wines equivalent to this first category (Leoville Las Cases, Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Le Pin, Lafleur, Petrus). Concerning 3eme, 4eme and 5eme Cru Classe en 1855, they seem like having scores in the same ranges and may not need to be still differentiated.

Saint Emilion wines classification has categories fitting the scores whereas Pomerol has no classification at all. Anyway, Pomerol wines have already great reputation (Petrus, Lafleur, Le Pin).

In this article, we tried to bring advices to wine amateurs and show the equivalence in this classifications jungle.

In terms of evolution through the years, this article also underlined that 1er Cru Classe A of Saint Emilion have scores closer and closer to 1er Cru Classe en 1855. This is the same situation for wines from 1er Cru Classe B of Saint Emilion with 2eme Cru Classé en 1855. This study also confirmed that a wine from a high category and a bad vintage has lower score than a lower category wine and a good vintage (1er Cru Classe en 1855 in 2013 compared to 2eme Cru Classe en 1855 for vintages 2009 and 2010).