With a name literally meaning ‘great growths’ you expect the best. And Grand Cru wines epitomise the best of the best. They are essentially the finest wines available in France. But what factors catapult this type of wine so far above the rest? And from what regions can you find the best ones? Whether you're touring the south of France or browsing our Wine auctions for an exquisite bottle, we’ve compiled a list of what’s hot in the exclusive world of Grand Cru wines. Get your tasting palate at the ready…
What is a Grand Cru Wine?
To deserve the title of a Grand Cru wine there must be a harmonious combination of several elements. The depth of the roots and age of vines define the intensity of the taste and body of the wine itself. These factors must then both perfectly match the elevation and how much sunlight the grapes are exposed to, which of course will vary from year to year. But what they depend upon the most is the terroir, particularly in relation to the type of grape.
Grand Cru wines can be white, red or sparkling. Generally speaking, for Burgundy, most white Grand Crus are chardonnays (outside Alsace) with their red counterparts, pinot noirs. The allocation of Grand Cru status in most areas is strictly controlled.
In 1855, perhaps the most famous Grand Cru system was introduced in Bordeaux, listing the wines in order of status, top of the tier being first growths going down to fifth growths. Originally the list consisted of 58 Chateaux; 4 firsts, 12 seconds, 14 thirds, 11 fourths & 17 fifths. Over time this list has evolved and now includes 61 Chateaux.
What Areas Do Grand Crus Come From?
For those who really want to dig deep, the term Grand Cru (and the associated Grand Cru Classé) means different things in different areas. The fact that these wines are produced in such a small area adds to their exclusivity.
Arguably the Northern half of the Cote d’Or in Burgundy above Beaune is the ultimate expression of Grand Cru pinot noir red wines and many will argue these normally superlative wines are the world’s best. In general, Burgundy is the holy grail for Grand Crus with the Alsace following on behind. However Grand Cru status is only granted to small areas or vineyards (less that 1% of the total production in Burgundy) and it is jealously preserved and coveted.
Most Burgundy Grand Crus are in the Cote de Nuit part of the Cote d’Or. The best are arguably Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC) and other Grand Cru vineyards such as Chambertin and Clos Vougeot which are sublime red wines in good years but come with an expensive price tag.
Burgundy also produces the greatest white wines from the chardonnay grape and Le Montrachet and Corton Charlemagne can be considered as possibly the best in the world and both are exceptional examples of Grand Crus. Just tasting these wines will demonstrate how important the balance of minerality and acidity is, and why they are Grand Crus!
Moving further north but still technically in Burgundy, Chablis has 7 Grand Cru domains and again these represent great chardonnays with distinct superiority over Premier Cru wines and of course village Chablis.
The Alsace is another wine region to the west with distinctive grape varieties including Gewurztraminer and has 51 Grand Cru vineyards and even the Loire now has a Grand Cru with Quarts de Chaume, a fine chenin blanc and there is a Grand Cru system emerging in the Languedoc.
So with these caveats, you are officially clued up about where you should be looking and what you should be looking for. Our wine experts do the dirty work for you as they filter out and select Grand Cru wines that are well worth taking a sip of (or the whole bottle). With new Wine auctions starting every Friday, you can be sure to find a whole host of weekly delicacies and rare bottles. You can also register as a seller here and offer up some of your own Grand Crus for auction. Remember that drinking a great and rare wine represents a sublime experience - life is too short to drink average wines!