In 2021, Chateau Cheval Blanc, along with Chateau Ausone, withdrew from the St-Emilion classification. These chateaux alleged doubts about the criteria for (re)classification, citing a drift away from the pre-eminence on terroir towards a focus on marketing considerations. Some critics implied they were miffed by the prospect of having to share their exalted ‘Premier Grand Cru Classe A’ status with more chateau (it had been their exclusive preserve prior to the 2012 promotion of Pavie and Angelus).

Is it possible not to love Climens? Without even tasting it, all the constituents are already in place- it`s biodynamic, it has a devoted and committed owner and is beautifully run. Oh, and it is a fraction of the price of most of the world`s other top wines. And then you taste it. Berenice Lurton crafts the purest nectar out in the vineyards and in the cellar acts as alchemist, turning the leaden grey fruit into vinous gold.

Vines first went into the ground at Clinet in 1758, making it one of Pomerol’s oldest estates. By the early nineteenth century, with vineyards proliferating, Clinet was regarded as one of the very best. Fast forward to the late 1970s, when Estate Manager Jean-Michel Arcaute arrived here. In his determination to restore Clinet to its nineteenth century glory, he completely reformed vineyard practise here – and a lot of Bordeaux began to follow. In came leaf thinning and green harvesting. Out went machine harvesting, to ensure only the best grapes were picked.

While most vineyards in the Medoc were not laid out till the 17th century when the marshes had been drained, wine has been made continually at d’Issan since the 12th century. In 1152, wine made at Issan – then under the name of La Mothe-Cantenac – was served at the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitane and Henri II. In 1453, after losing the Battle of Castillon which concluded the Hundred Years’ War, the surviving English troops took refuge at the fortified castle here. In the 17th century, it became the property of the d’Essenault family, and d’Issan is a phonetic spelling of their name.

When we say that Chateau d’Yquem is in a class of its own, we mean that literally – it gets the top tier in the 1855 classification of the white wines of the Gironde, Premier Cru Superieur, all to itself. And its terroir really does put it head and shoulders above other Sauternes properties – it stands at the highest point in the appellation, offering views all around. It’s a genuine advantage for the vines - that elevation allows the wind to remove excess moisture from the vines as noble rot settles in.

One early owner gifted a family name to the chateau. A different set of nineteenth-century owners with connections to Pope Leo XIII made de Fieuzal famous by filling the Vatican’s wine cellars with the wine. Since 2001, de Fieuzal has been owned by Lochlan Quinn, former chairman of the Allied Irish Bank. The size of the vineyard hasn’t deterred him from pushing for the chateau to partially adopt biodynamic viticulture, on top of which, if you visit, you will find vegetable gardens, henhouses and beehives.

Of all the chateaux overlooked in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, few are as deserving as Margaux property Deyrem Valentin. It is well sited, on the same mix of gravel, sand and clay soils that underpin the appellation`s most prestigious addresses. The vines average 40 years old, and there is one parcel where some are almost 100, placing them among the Medoc’s very oldest. The consultant oenologist is Hubert de Bouard, owner of Chateau Angelus. As Jeff Leve notes on thewinecellarinsider, Deyrem Valentin competes with many classified growths for a lot less money.

Between Beychevelle to the north and Latour across the commune boundary to the south in Pauillac, and running almost down to the Gironde, sits one of the clutch of 5 St Julien second growths, Ducru-Beaucaillou. Beychevelle is in fact a parent of Ducru; in 1642, when the British were just getting going on the killing spree now referred to as the English Civil War, the Beychevelle estate was broken up to settle a debt, and one of the resulting parcels would become what is now Ducru-Beaucaillou. The name didn`t come till later.

Duhart-Milon is a stablemate of Lafite. The vineyards are adjacent, with the same fine gravels and black sands over a bedrock of limestone, but Duhart lies on lower ground with a more northerly exposure. Once upon a time, it was made as the second wine of Lafite, and for even longer it remained in Lafite`s shadow. But it has evolved an identity all its own, under its own technical team since 2001, and it has gone from strength to strength over the last two decades. It used to be marked by a certain youthful austerity, but is typically richer these days.

A visit to Feytit-Clinet is so unlike a visit to most Bordeaux chateaux. It’s not a castle or a stately home, nor are you filtered past receptionists or along mirrored halls. In fact, it’s much more like a visit to Burgundy where the owner stomps out from round the back in welly boots, kicking their kids` toys out of the way as they go. Jeremy Chasseuil lives and works here, and has done since the year 2000 when he took over.

Figeac was one of the winners in the 2022 St-Emilion reclassification, and it now plays in the very top league, Premier Grand Cru Classe (A). It should probably have always been there, but never mind. It is one of the oldest properties in Bordeaux, with roots in the second century and the Roman Figeacus family. (I know that sounds like it comes from the Life of Brian, but it’s for real, and there are Gallo-Roman remains on the property). The Manoncourt family arrived in 1892, and remain here to this day.

Pomerol estate Gazin has a full 19 hectares of vines on the plateau, more than any other winery in the appellation, all in one single block. It also commands the appellation’s highest point, next to Petrus, at just over 40 metres. The vineyard is planted to 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, though the proportion of Cabernets is set to increase in response to climate change. (NT 12/05/25)

Margaux Third Growth Giscours is an older estate than most. It is referenced as a fortified property in a 1330 document, and recorded as making wine in 1552. It was confiscated from its aristocratic owners in the French Revolution, and re-sold, initially to two Americans from Boston. A long list of other owners followed. The most notable nineteenth century name here was not an owner at all, but Estate Manager Pierre Skawinski, one of the great agricultural innovators of his day.

The vineyards of St-Emilion property Grand Mayne lie in one single block around the rather stately manor house of a chateau, on the slopes leading up to the western flank of the town. Jean-Antoine Nony has been full-time director here since 2012, and improving the vineyards has been his mission ever since. One of his first decisions was to begin a slow replanting programme, with the ultimate goal of bringing the proportion of Cabernet Franc in the vineyards back up to the 35% it was in 1934, when his grandfather acquired the property.