A famosa classificação de vinhos franceses de 1855 reuniu os melhores rótulos de Bordeaux (todos do Médoc, exceto o Château Haut-Brion, de Graves), a pedido de Napoleão III, para serem expostos na Exposição Universal de Paris daquele ano.
Essa lista ainda é utilizada nos dias de hoje para classificar, em 5 níveis distintos (1er Cru a 5eme Cru), os vinhos da “margem esquerda” de Bordeaux. A única alteração significativa na lista aconteceu em 1973, com o reposicionamento do Château Mouton-Rothschild, de 2eme para 1er Cru, após uma longa campanha de seu proprietário, o barão Philippe de Rothschild.
Apesar do caráter “histórico” desta classificação, no qual os châteaux mais bem classificados se apegam com orgulho, vários desses vinhos sofreram mudanças (para melhor ou não…) ao longo destes quase 160 anos, e é essa nova realidade que é capturada pelo índice Liv-ex, que recalcula a classificação de 1855 baseando-se no preço de mercado desses vinhos nas últimas 5 safras, no caso, entre 2007 e 2011.
Veja como deveria ser a classificação atual dos vinhos do Médoc baseada nesse critério:
Chateaux | 2013 Rank | 2013 Class | 1855 Rank | 1855 Class |
Latour | 1 | 1st | 2 | 1st |
Lafite Rothschild |
2 | 1st | 1 | 1st |
Margaux | 3 | 1st | 3 | 1st |
Mouton Rothschild* |
4 | 1st | 5 | 2nd |
Haut Brion | 5 | 1st | 4 | 1st |
Mission Haut Brion |
6 | 1st | new | new |
Palmer | 7 | 2nd | 29 | 3rd |
Cos d’Estournel |
8 | 2nd | 18 | 2nd |
Leoville Las Cases |
9 | 2nd | 8 | 2nd |
Ducru Beaucaillou |
10 | 2nd | 17 | 2nd |
Montrose | 11 | 2nd | 19 | 2nd |
Pontet Canet | 12 | 2nd | 44 | 5th |
Pichon Baron | 13 | 2nd | 15 | 2nd |
Pichon Lalande | 14 | 2nd | 16 | 2nd |
Lynch Bages | 15 | 2nd | 49 | 5th |
Leoville Poyferre |
16 | 2nd | 9 | 2nd |
Pape Clement | 17 | 2nd | new | new |
Smith Haut Lafitte |
18 | 2nd | new | new |
Duhart Milon | 19 | 3rd | 37 | 4th |
Haut Bailly | 20 | 3rd | new | new |
Rauzan Segla | 21 | 3rd | 6 | 2nd |
Calon Segur | 22 | 3rd | 32 | 3rd |
Beychevelle | 23 | 3rd | 41 | 4th |
Leoville Barton |
24 | 3rd | 10 | 2nd |
Lascombes | 25 | 3rd | 13 | 2nd |
Saint Pierre | 26 | 3rd | 20 | 4th |
Malescot St Exupery |
27 | 4th | 26 | 3rd |
Brane Cantenac | 28 | 4th | 14 | 2nd |
Gruaud Larose | 29 | 4th | 12 | 2nd |
Grand Puy Lacoste |
30 | 4th | 47 | 5th |
Kirwan | 31 | 4th | 21 | 3rd |
Clerc Milon | 32 | 4th | 59 | 5th |
Boyd Cantenac | 33 | 4th | 28 | 3rd |
Domaine Chevalier |
34 | 4th | new | new |
Issan | 35 | 4th | 22 | 3rd |
Branaire Ducru | 36 | 4th | 36 | 4th |
Cantenac Brown | 37 | 4th | 27 | 3rd |
Lagune | 38 | 4th | 30 | 3rd |
Talbot | 39 | 4th | 35 | 4th |
Langoa Barton | 40 | 4th | 24 | 3rd |
Giscours | 41 | 4th | 25 | 3rd |
Rauzan Gassies | 42 | 4th | 7 | 2nd |
Armailhac | 43 | 4th | 52 | 5th |
Malartic Lagraviere |
44 | 5th | new | new |
Durfort Vivens | 45 | 5th | 11 | 2nd |
Lagrange Saint Julien |
46 | 5th | 23 | 3rd |
Prieure Lichine |
47 | 5th | 42 | 4th |
Grand Puy Ducasse |
48 | 5th | 48 | 5th |
Ferriere | 49 | 5th | 32 | 3rd |
Marquis Terme | 50 | 5th | 43 | 4th |
Croizet Bages | 51 | 5th | 60 | 5th |
Batailley | 52 | 5th | 45 | 5th |
Haut Marbuzet | 53 | 5th | new | new |
Marquis Alesme Becker |
54 | 5th | 34 | 3rd |
Lafon Rochet | 55 | 5th | 40 | 4th |
Dauzac | 56 | 5th | 51 | 5th |
Haut Bages Liberal |
57 | 5th | 54 | 5th |
Tour Carnet | 58 | 5th | 38 | 4th |
Haut Batailley | 59 | 5th | 46 | 5th |
Gloria | 60 | 5th | new | new |
Baseado nos mesmos critérios, o Liv-ex classificaria os principais vinhos da “margem direita” (Saint-Emilion e Pomerol) da seguinte forma: Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Lafleur, Le Pin e Petrus seriam 1er Crus, enquanto Angelus, Clos Fourtet, La Conseillante, Eglise-Clinet, Evangile, Figeac, La Fleur-Petrus, Pavie, Troplong-Mondot e Vieux Chateau Certan seriam 2eme Crus.
Fonte: Liv-ex