Business Week article

[barnesy]

Joey,

I think you are getting your systems mixed up. The standard cru system that is used in Burgundy is used to some extent in Bordeaux as well. There are grand cru and cru level Bordeaux. They can petition the wine authority to seek advancement to a higher cru. If the authority deems the quality justified, they can advance. Conversely, they can also be downgraded.

The one advancement you are talking about is different. That was in the famous "1855 classification" which was based largely on what the wines traded at. This particular classification only included chateau from the Medoc region with one from the Graves region. They also included the dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

There are two different systems operating the "growth system" of 1855 and the legal Cru system established in 1936. I do agree that they can be confusing but an upgrading in status can also mean an upgrading in pricing. Ask WW about all the quality Bordeux that is out there without a high growth rating to make the price go through the roof. Of course the system could use some work, but I like knowing all the stuff the region implies.

What can I say, I'm an egghead.

Barnesy