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The cru bourgeois classification 2003 has been annulled on February 27 th by the Bordeaux administrative court of appeals.
The repeal effectively returns the Médoc classification to its original 1932 status. This original classification had been brought in as many Chateaux had missed out on being in the 1855 classification and wanted to have a respectable identity for their wines as compared to ordinary AOC wines.
The ruling also rescinds the cru bourgeois superieur and cru bourgeois exceptionnel rankings, affecting eighty seven and nine chateaux respectively. These Chateaux had been reclassified in 2003 as superior
All Chateaux, including the 'exceptionnel' Chasse-Spleen, Poujeaux and Phélan Ségur, revert, along with all the 444 chateaux of the 1932 classification, to a simple 'cru bourgeois' status.
The 2003 reclassification was the result of efforts to raise consumer confidence in the cru bourgeois label by eliminating poor quality wines through a more rigorous selection process. But the process which saw the number cut almost to half was full of conflicts.
The term "cru bourgeois" was recognized by the European Union in 1979 on the condition that the French government revise the classification due to many changes that had taken place since 1932. This process was completed in June 2003 and came into force in 2004. Of the 490 properties that applied to be included in the revised classification only 247 qualified.
Several of the excluded properties then appealed to the courts, which in 2004 found in their favour. The court ruled that there had been flaws in the judging procedure. The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce was ordered to arrange for these properties to be re-assessed.
Tuesday's decision was expected by producers and outside observers.
For a complete listing of these wines, visit http://www.terroir-france.com
Subhash Arora
March 1, 2007 |
