RESTORING A REPUTATION

FEBRUARY 2020 marks a significant moment in the evolution of Bordeaux’s Crus Bourgeois classification. After five years of work and legal preparation, Crus Bourgeois is moving to a fiveyear classification.

For the decade of vintages from 2008 to 2017, Crus Bourgeois has steered a steady, fairly unobtrusive ship, working solidly on rebuilding reputation and consequence, after a damaging and turbulent period at the beginning of the millennium. As part of reputation recovery, the organisation outsourced, to an independent third-party body, responsibility for ensuring impartiality and minimum wine quality standards. This body conducted the blind tasting assessments on which entry to Crus Bourgeois is granted. For traditional bordeaux,