About
French wine is named after places, not grapes
Most of the world labels wine by variety: Chardonnay, Syrah, Malbec. France labels by origin. A bottle of Chablis says nothing about Chardonnay on the front, because in Chablis the grape is a given — what matters is the fossil-flecked marl it grew in, the cool northern sun, and the rules that govern how it was made.
That idea has a name: terroir. Soil, slope, climate and human tradition, treated as inseparable. This atlas is organised the same way — region first, then the appellations inside it, then the grapes that happen to grow there.
Origin is national; classification is regional
Vin de France, IGP and AOC / AOP describe legal origin and production rules, not a universal quality score. Vin de France names the country, IGP a protected geographic area, and AOC / AOP an appellation with defined rules. Cru is not a fourth national tier: it may refer to an estate, a vineyard, a village or an appellation, depending on the region.
Classification & origin
Bordeaux: its own classification system
Bordeaux classifies estates through several independent systems, not one regional ladder. The appellation and a château's classification are separate claims.
Saint-Émilion classification
Estates within Saint-Émilion Grand Cru; revised periodically, most recently in 2022.
Hierarchy · highest first
- 01Premier Grand Cru Classé A
- The highest distinction; Château Figeac and Château Pavie in the 2022 classification.
- 02Premier Grand Cru Classé
- The other premier classified estates. Historically described as category B, but the 2022 list does not formally label this group B.
- 03Grand Cru Classé
- Classified estates below the premier group.
On the label: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru alone is an appellation with stricter production rules, not a classified estate. Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Angélus are not in the 2022 list; older bottles may carry their former classifications.
1855 Médoc classification
Red-wine estates of the Médoc, plus Château Haut-Brion in what is now Pessac-Léognan.
Hierarchy · highest first
- 01Premier Cru Classé · First Growth
- Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion and Mouton Rothschild (promoted in 1973).
- 02Deuxième Cru Classé · Second Growth
- The second group of classified estates.
- 03Troisième Cru Classé · Third Growth
- The third group of classified estates.
- 04Quatrième Cru Classé · Fourth Growth
- The fourth group of classified estates.
- 05Cinquième Cru Classé · Fifth Growth
- The fifth group of classified estates; the rank is not a guarantee of today's quality.
On the label: Sauternes and Barsac have a separate 1855 sweet-wine classification: Premier Cru Supérieur (Yquem), Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus. Pomerol has no official estate classification.
1855 Sauternes & Barsac classification
A separate estate classification for the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac; not the Médoc red-wine list.
Hierarchy · highest first
- 01Premier Cru Supérieur
- Château d'Yquem alone occupies the highest category.
- 02Premier Cru
- First classified growths, including Château La Tour Blanche, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Château Climens and Château Coutet.
- 03Deuxième Cru
- Second classified growths, including Château Doisy-Daëne, Château Doisy-Védrines and Château de Myrat.
On the label: Barsac estates may use Barsac or Sauternes on eligible wines. A château's classification is separate from the appellation and does not classify every wine it makes.
Cru Bourgeois du Médoc
Independent, periodically reviewed recognition for eligible Médoc estates outside the 1855 classified-growth list. The 2025 classification contains 170 estates.
Hierarchy · highest first
- 01Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
- The highest distinction in this system: 14 estates in the 2025 list.
- 02Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
- The intermediate distinction: 36 estates in the 2025 list.
- 03Cru Bourgeois
- The base classification distinction: 120 estates in the 2025 list.
On the label: This is not a sixth 1855 growth. Check the applicable classification and vintage rather than assuming an estate has always held the same status.
Cru Artisan & unclassified Bordeaux origins
Other Bordeaux labels identify estate recognition or geographic origin without joining the classified-growth hierarchies.
Distinct designations · not a ranking
- Cru Artisan du Médoc
- A separate, periodically reviewed estate designation recognising artisan estates; not a rank within Cru Bourgeois or the 1855 list.
- Pomerol
- An appellation with no official estate classification. Reputation and price do not create an official cru rank.
- Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur & named AOCs
- Bordeaux Supérieur has stricter production specifications than Bordeaux; these are appellation claims, not château growth rankings. Fronsac, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Côtes de Bordeaux and other origins have their own rules.
Graves / Pessac-Léognan
The Graves classification of 1953, completed in 1959; all classified estates now lie in Pessac-Léognan.
Distinct designations · not a ranking
- Cru Classé de Graves
- A single unranked distinction for 16 estates, classified for red wine, white wine or both. Haut-Brion also belongs to the 1855 classification.
On the label: Pessac-Léognan is an appellation, not an extra classification tier. Cru Bourgeois du Médoc is another independent system, not a sixth 1855 growth.
How to use this atlas
Each region page covers its climate and soils, the grapes permitted there, the appellations worth knowing, the balance of styles produced, recent vintages to look for, and what to eat with the wine. Start with the region that matches the meal you're cooking, not the grape you already like.
Open the region index