Cru class (Fr.)

Classed growth.

Top level of classification in the Bordeaux region. Wines of the Mdoc and Sauternes were classified in 1855, and the top wines were divided into league tables from First Growth (the best, or rather the most expensive) down to Fifth Growth. The classification has scarcely altered since, and so some Second Growths, for example, rival their First Growth neighbours (in quality if not in price).

Written by