🏷️ Premier cru
The second rank of good vineyard sites after grand cru.
Premier cru, "first growth", is the second most prestigious level of the Burgundy classification after grand cru. It is the name for individual good vineyards. In Burgundy there are more than 600 such plots.
The rank is decided by the land, not the estate. The experts who set the levels looked at soil, slope and climate of the plot. The best plots received the highest rank, grand cru, and good ones premier cru. Below are village and regional wines.
The label shows the village name and the words "premier cru"; often the name of a particular plot is added, for example "Mercurey Premier Cru". Wine from such a plot is usually more complex, keeps longer and costs more than the village wine.
The words "premier cru" are also known in other parts of France, such as Chablis and Champagne. In Bordeaux they mean something different: the term names the most famous estates in the 1855 classification. There the estates were rated, not the land.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Premier cru ← similar ← 🏷️ Grand cru → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Grand cru
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ French wine
- Similar and different
- 🏷️ Grand cru, 🏷️ Village appellation
Frequently asked questions
What is premier cru?
It is the second most prestigious level of Burgundy vineyards after grand cru. The plots are considered very good.
How many premier crus are there in Burgundy?
More than 600 plots.
How does premier cru differ from grand cru?
Grand cru is the top level and premier cru the next. Grand cru plots are even better and smaller.
What to read next
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🏷️ Village appellation — Burgundy wine from the vineyards of one village, ranked below Premier Cru.
Similar
🏷️ Échelle des crus · 🏷️ Burgundy Grand Cru · 🏷️ Alsace Grand Cru · 🏷️ Regional appellation · 🏷️ Appellation d'origine contrôlée · 🏷️ VDQS
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.