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Wine Terms

Saint-Émilion Classification

sa(n)-tay-mee-LYOHN

Saint-Émilion's ranking of its Grand Cru estates, revisable every ten years since 1955, where châteaux can be promoted, demoted or step away altogether.

The classification of AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines has existed since 1955 and is revisable every ten years, according to INAO. The 2022 classification, the seventh since the first in 1955, lists 85 properties: 2 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A (Château Figeac and Château Pavie), 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 71 Grands Crus Classés, per the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion. Decanter reported that Châteaux Ausone and Cheval Blanc announced their withdrawal from the classification in July 2021 and that Château Angélus withdrew its candidacy in January 2022, so none of the three appears on the 2022 list. The system has been fought over in court: Wine Spectator reported in July 2008 that a Bordeaux court had struck down the 2006 classification and that the French senate had voted to reinstate the 1996 rankings.

History and Heritage

The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion traces the idea of a classification to the early 1950s. In 1952 a classification regulation scheme was drawn up under the auspices of INAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, and in 1954 three appellations were added to the Saint-Émilion AOC of 1936: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé and Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé. In 1955, responding to a request from the Union for the Defence of the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Appellation, INAO made the first classification. The Conseil's 2022 press kit dates it to June 16, 1955, completed in 1958, with 75 châteaux: 63 Grands Crus Classés and 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés. From the start it was designed to be revised every ten years. The same press kit dates the later editions to November 17, 1969, May 23, 1986, November 8, 1996, December 12, 2006 and September 6, 2012, and the 2022 classification is the seventh. The 2006 edition did not stand. Four châteaux demoted in that review filed legal complaints alleging that the classification commission was biased; a Bordeaux court struck the classification down on July 1, and the French senate voted on July 9 to reinstate the 1996 rankings, Wine Spectator reported in July 2008.

  • 1955: 75 châteaux classified, 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 63 Grands Crus Classés (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)
  • 2006: Jane Anson (Decanter, 2009) names the four plaintiffs as Guadet, La Tour du Pin Figeac, Cadet Bon and La Marzelle, four of the 11 châteaux that lost classified status; the case ended with the whole classification cancelled and the 1996 ranking reinstated
  • 2012: 18 premiers grands crus classés and 64 grands crus classés (INAO); Angélus and Pavie were promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, a tier previously home only to Ausone and Cheval Blanc (Decanter)
  • 2022: INAO's national committee approved the new list on September 8, 2022, and Figeac was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A (Decanter)
Key Facts
  • INAO's national committee for wine appellations approved the 2022 list on September 8, 2022: 14 premiers grands crus classés, 2 of them with the distinction A, and 71 grands crus classés
  • The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion counts 85 châteaux in the 2022 classification, against 75 in 1955, 84 in 1969, 74 in 1986, 68 in 1996 and 82 in 2012
  • Château Figeac and Château Pavie hold the distinction A in 2022; Decanter reported in September 2022 that Figeac was the only producer to join Pavie in the top tier
  • Ausone and Cheval Blanc, reconfirmed as Premier Grand Cru Classé A in 2012, announced their withdrawal from the classification in July 2021, both citing issues with the judging criteria (Decanter)
  • Angélus, promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in 2012, withdrew its candidacy from the 2022 classification in January 2022 (Decanter)
  • Under the 2022 rules published by the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion, tasting counts for 50% of the final score at both levels, while reputation counts for 20% for Grands Crus Classés and 35% for Premiers Grands Crus Classés
  • A minimum total score of 14/20 is required for Grand Cru Classé and 16/20 for Premier Grand Cru Classé, and only estates already admitted as Grand Cru Classé could be examined for Premier Grand Cru Classé (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)

Geography and Climate

The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion describes the Saint-Émilion and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellations as geographically intertwined. Their area covers Saint-Émilion, Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, Saint-Pey-d'Armens, Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens and Vignonet, with parts of the town of Libourne. The Conseil's website (consulted September 2026) gives 5,450 hectares in vine for the two appellations, a temperate oceanic climate and an average annual temperature of 12.8°C. Only the best wines are entitled to the Grand Cru appellation, and it is the Grand Cru appellation that allows the titles Grand Cru Classé and Premier Grand Cru Classé.

  • Limestone plateau (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion soil summary)
  • Siliceous clayey gravel terrace (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion soil summary)
  • Clayey limestone hillsides and valleys, and the sandy gravel plain of the Dordogne valley (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion soil summary)
  • Château Figeac describes its own terroir as three Gunzian gravel outcrops with blue clay at depth
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Key Grapes and Wine Styles

The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion says local winegrowers have selected three main grape varieties and three secondary ones. Merlot holds pride of place, alongside Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec (also known as Cot or Pressac), Petit Verdot and Carmenère grown much more marginally. By the Conseil's account, Cabernet Franc accounts for almost a third of all vines and ripens approximately two weeks after Merlot, while Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for a tenth of all production. Blends vary by estate: Château Figeac says Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon represent 70% of its blend.

  • Merlot: an early-fruiting grape that likes cool clay-textured soils and brings colour, suppleness and red fruit aromas (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)
  • Cabernet Franc: mainly cultivated around Libourne, favoured on limestone or warmer sandy and gravelly soils, and gives freshness and a striking tannic structure suited to ageing (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon: a late-fruiting grape suited to warm, dry soils such as sandy gravel, adding spicy notes and rich tannins (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)
  • Château Figeac: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with the two Cabernets at 70% of the blend, per the estate

Wine Laws and Classification Mechanics

The classification is provided for in the specifications of the AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, which entrust the process to INAO. For the 2022 edition INAO set up a seven-member classification commission on June 16, 2020, and the classification regulations were approved by decree on May 14, 2020. The commission's work over almost two years was supported by Bureau Veritas Certification France, an independent third-party organization appointed via a public contract, and by INAO. For the 2022 classification, Grand Cru Classé candidates presented 10 vintages from 2010 to 2019, and Premier Grand Cru Classé candidates 15 vintages from 2005 to 2019. Scoring is on a 20-point scale, with Premier Grand Cru Classé estates needing a minimum of 16/20 and Grand Cru Classé estates needing 14/20. According to the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion, tasting makes up 50% of the final score at both levels; reputation (advertising, distribution and value) 20% for Grands Crus Classés and 35% for Premiers Grands Crus Classés; winery and terroirs 20% and 10%; and methods used in winegrowing and oenology 10% and 5%. Only candidates already admitted as Grand Cru Classé could be examined for Premier Grand Cru Classé.

  • Tasting panel: 43 expert tasters under Gilles de Revel, professor at the ISVV, tasted 1,343 samples between December 2021 and April 2022; each needed at least 10 years of experience in the field (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)
  • Classified plots: the Conseil's 2022 press kit says the classification identifies, for each property, the plots entitled to go into the classified wine for the next 10 years
  • Adding land: Wine Spectator reported in September 2021 that the classification has restrictive regulations about adding new plots, and that Quintus withdrew from it when it added the L'Arrosée plots
  • 2022 tiers: 2 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A (Figeac, Pavie), 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 71 Grands Crus Classés, 85 properties in all (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion)

Notable Producers and Classification Tiers

INAO's 2022 list names Château Figeac and Château Pavie as the two premiers grands crus classés with the distinction A. Château Figeac and Château Pavie now occupy the Premier Grand Cru Classé A pinnacle of the 2022 classification. Decanter reported that Figeac, owned by the same family since 1892, was the only producer to secure promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in 2022. The other 12 premiers grands crus classés are Beau-Séjour Bécot, Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse, Bélair-Monange, Canon, Canon La Gaffelière, Clos Fourtet, La Mondotte, Larcis Ducasse, Pavie Macquin, Troplong Mondot, Trottevieille and Valandraud. Several names from the 2012 top tiers are absent: Ausone and Cheval Blanc withdrew ahead of the 2022 renewal, Angélus withdrew its candidacy, and Decanter reported that Château La Gaffelière, ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé B, joined the exodus from the 2022 ranking in June 2022.

  • Premiers Grands Crus Classés A (2022): Château Figeac and Château Pavie (INAO)
  • Ausone and Cheval Blanc: both announced in July 2021 that they would withdraw; Cheval Blanc's management wrote of new criteria that amount to "marketing drift", and Ausone co-owner Pauline Vauthier said the decision was not made in concert with Cheval Blanc (Decanter)
  • Angélus: withdrew its candidacy in January 2022, describing the classification as having become "a vehicle for antagonism and instability" (Decanter)
  • Quintus: Domaine Clarence Dillon bought Château Tertre Daugay in 2011 and renamed it Quintus, acquired its neighbour Château L'Arrosée in 2013 and integrated the two, then in 2021 acquired Grand Cru Classé Château Grand-Pontet to combine with Quintus (Wine Spectator); Quintus is not classified, and neither L'Arrosée nor Grand-Pontet appears on the 2022 list
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Visiting and Cultural Significance

In 1999 Saint-Émilion and its vineyards were listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, which the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion describes as the first time on the planet that a viticultural landscape had been listed in this way. The listing covers the town and its former jurisdiction: Saint-Émilion, Saint-Christophe des Bardes, Saint-Etienne de Lisse, Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Laurent des Combes, Saint-Pey d'Armens, Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens and Vignonet. Any change to the structure of the soil or planting of a plot must be approved by a committee made up of State representatives, INAO, architects from the Bâtiments de France heritage protection agency and the Saint-Émilion Wine Council. The Conseil lists advertising, communication, technical investments and wine tourism among the aspects winemakers need to work on to join the elite of the Crus de Saint-Émilion.

  • UNESCO listing (1999): Saint-Émilion and its vineyards, the first viticultural landscape listed, per the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion
  • Eight villages: the World Heritage association, jointly chaired by the Saint-Émilion Wine Council, acts on behalf of the eight villages in the Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion
  • Planting controls: a committee of State representatives, INAO, Bâtiments de France architects and the Wine Council approves any change to soil structure or plot planting
  • Wine tourism and the ranking: Cheval Blanc's 2021 letter listed wine tourism infrastructure among the criteria it called "marketing drift" (Decanter)

Sources and last verified

Primary sources (the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion, INAO, Château Figeac and Château Quintus): https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/welcome-in-the-vineyard/the-2022-classification/, https://vins-saint-emilion.com/uploads/2022/09/dossier-de-presse_Nouveau-classement-des-vins-de-Saint-Emilion-2022.pdf, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/en/lettres-odg/septembre-2022/saint-emilion-grand-cru-classement, https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/welcome-in-the-vineyard/saint-emilion-wine-classification/, https://www.chateau-quintus.com/en/the-chateau/, https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/unesco-heritage/unesco-listing/, https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/welcome-in-the-vineyard/saint-emilion-and-grand-cru/, https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/a-taste-of-saint-emilion/merlot-and-blending/, https://www.chateau-figeac.com/en/the-place/, https://www.chateau-figeac.com/en/the-wine/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/st-emilion-2022-classification-promotes-chateau-figeac-to-premier-grand-cru-classe-a-487144/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/chateau-quintus-acquires-chateau-grand-potent-465570/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/cheval-blanc-and-ausone-to-leave-st-emilion-classification-461827/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/angelus-withdraws-from-the-next-st-emilion-classification-471835/, https://www.decanter.com/features/the-2006-classification-scandal-of-st-emilion-246807/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/haut-brion-owners-expand-plans-on-right-bank-buy-chateau-grand-pontet, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/domaine-clarence-dillon-makes-second-saint-emilion-purchase-18445/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/chateau-haut-brion-owners-buy-st-emilions-chateau-larrosee-48529, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/french-government-reinstates-st-emilion-classification-sort-of-4258. Last verified 2026-09-24

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Flavor Profile

The Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion credits Merlot, which holds pride of place in the blends, with colour, suppleness and red fruit aromas such as strawberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, redcurrant and cherry, which can take on jammy nuances and toasted notes after some years in bottle. Cabernet Franc adds slightly spicy aromatic subtlety, freshness and a very striking tannic structure, and Cabernet Sauvignon contributes spicy, multilayered notes and rich tannins. Château Figeac, with two-thirds Cabernet in its blend, describes notes of peony, infused fruit and graphite, with flavours of tobacco-leaf and hints of black truffle developing with time.

Food Pairings
Roast duck breast with cherry reduction (Merlot-driven fruit mirrors the sauce; tannins balance rich duck fat)Grilled lamb with herbes de Provence (Cabernet Franc's herbal and spice notes echo the aromatics)Beef tenderloin with truffle jus (the structure of a mature Premier Grand Cru Classé and its secondary truffle and leather notes suit the dish)Duck confit with braised lentils (Merlot softness and earthy complexity complement the preserved duck; works across multiple classification tiers and vintages)Soft-washed rind cheeses such as Epoisses or Langres (Mature Saint-Émilion's leather and dried fruit notes bridge the pungency of the cheese; the wine's acidity prevents palate fatigue)Wild mushroom risotto with aged Parmigiano (earthy, umami richness complements the tertiary complexity of a mature Grand Cru Classé; Cabernet Franc-inflected estates work especially well)
How to Say It
Saint-Émilionsa(n)-tay-mee-LYOHN
Grand Cru Classégrahn kroo klah-SAY
Premier Grand Cru Classépruh-MYAY grahn kroo klah-SAY
Château Paviesha-TOH pah-VEE
Château Figeacsha-TOH fee-ZHAK
Château Ausonesha-TOH oh-ZOHN
Château Cheval Blancsha-TOH shuh-VAL blahn
Angélusahn-zhay-LOOS
Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS
  • The classification of AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines has existed since 1955 and is revisable every ten years (INAO); the 2022 classification is the seventh (Conseil des Vins de Saint-Émilion).
  • 2022 = 85 properties: 2 Premiers Grands Crus Classés A (Figeac, Pavie), 12 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 71 Grands Crus Classés; INAO's national committee approved the list on September 8, 2022.
  • 2022 scoring: tasting 50% at both levels; reputation 20% (Grand Cru Classé) vs 35% (Premier Grand Cru Classé); minimum 14/20 (Grand Cru Classé) and 16/20 (Premier Grand Cru Classé); 10 vintages (2010 to 2019) for Grand Cru Classé candidates and 15 vintages (2005 to 2019) for Premier Grand Cru Classé candidates.
  • Withdrawals: Ausone and Cheval Blanc (announced July 2021) and Angélus (January 2022), all Premier Grand Cru Classé A in 2012, are absent from the 2022 list (Decanter).
  • The 2006 classification was struck down by a Bordeaux court after four demoted châteaux filed complaints, and the French senate voted to reinstate the 1996 rankings (Wine Spectator, July 2008).

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