Winemakers in the historic vineyards of Saint-Émilion in France are hoping that prestigious wine rankings unveiled on Thursday will put an end to more than a decade of court cases, legal wrangling and controversy.
The sedate area of Saint-Émilion, with its Romanesque architecture and collection of vineyards classed as a world heritage site, has been at the centre of a long-running row over its famous rankings, which are decided every 10 years.
The fierce competition to be part of a select group of elite local wineries has helped make Saint-Émilion one of the most sought-after wines in the world, with some bottles fetching thousands of euros each.
The rankings have been compared to the Michelin Guide’s influence on the restaurant trade – they can build careers but they can also rankle. Several historic estates in Saint-Émilion filed lawsuits over the 2012 rankings, and after lengthy proceedings they lost their final appeal this year. More recently, certain top châteaux withdrew from the competition.
The Saint Émilion ranking system, which began in the 1950s, is claimed to be far more democratic than most wine classifications because it is reviewed each decade. But it is also held to be among France’s most demanding and complex ranking systems, using criteria including taste, terroir, wine-making practices and brand recognition.
Before this year’s eagerly awaited rankings, three of the current top four estates – Angélus, Ausone and Cheval Blanc – surprised observers by pulling out. Pierre Lurton, of the Cheval Blanc château, part-owned by the businessman Bernard Arnault, told Le Monde that he was “tip-toeing away without denigrating the efforts of other vineyards in the contest”.
The message was clear: for the most prestigious and well-established wineries there was little at stake in no longer taking part in the vast effort of competing, including expensive entry fees and lengthy application dossiers.
But more than 100 other local winemakers are awaiting Thursday’s announcement. The prize can result in the value of a vineyard doubling overnight. Being selected for a ranking secures a reputation and allows premium pricing, but more important is the boost to land values in what has become one of the most coveted wine areas in the world.
“It is regrettable that some properties leave the rankings, because this classification system is so clearly a collective endeavour for our wine region,” said Franck Binard, the director general of the Saint-Émilion wine council. “However, anyone is free to put themselves forward or not, it’s not an obligation. I like to use the analogy of the Michelin Guide: it has existed for decades, there are some huge restaurants with three-star ratings who have decided to no longer be part of it, and yet the Michelin Guide still exists and is incredibly famous, its publication is awaited each year.”
Binard added: “What is specific about the Saint-Émilion ratings is that they are revised every 10 years – it’s one of the only rankings to question itself in that way. It’s a gauge of quality for consumers.”
It is not clear whether fresh legal wrangling could follow Thursday’s announcement.
Jane Anson, a wine expert and the author of the book Inside Bordeaux, said: “Despite the lawsuits and all the controversy, I know that the rankings have had more applications this year than ever before. So definitely people within Saint-Émilion do still see a big value in it, even though externally it has become quite complicated to follow because it’s constantly generating all this controversy.”
