Saint-Émilion — Grand Cru Classé

Grand Cru Classé is the broadest rank of the Saint-Émilion classification, holding 71 châteaux under the 2022 revision — the tier immediately below Premier Grand Cru Classé B, and the one where the appellation's best value tends to sit.

Do not confuse the rank with the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation, which any qualifying estate may use. Most Saint-Émilion estates — Château Quintus among them — bottle under the appellation without holding a place in the classification. Grand Cru Classé is awarded by jury, reviewed roughly every ten years, and can be lost as well as gained.