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The organically run Château Croque-Michotte in Saint-Emilion has also withdrawn from the classification of the growing region. This is reported by the trade journal La Revue du Vin de France. The farm, which is rated as Grand Cru, was classified as Grand Cru Classé until 1996. The controversially discussed new version of the classification is to be announced in September.
With its withdrawal, Croque-Michotte, with 14 ha of vineyards, joins four big names of the Bordeaux appellation: The renowned Châteaux Cheval-Blanc, Angélus, Ausone, and La Gaffelière have already announced that they will no longer apply for classification.
The INAO (Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité), which is responsible for this, has "got stuck in the mistakes of ten years ago: It is a classification of companies and not of wines, for investors and not for consumers", Lucile Carle, deputy managing director of Croque-Michotte, criticised the ratings. The château had already sued before the administrative court for the annulment of the controversial 2012 classification, but the case was dismissed.
The classification is reviewed every ten years and guarantees commercial, financial and publicity success for the highest-rated châteaux. However, the classifications are often contested - now often even in court. Critics find fault with the criteria and accuse those responsible of giving too much space to "secondary elements" such as name recognition and public access and too little consideration to "primary" aspects such as terroir, wine ratings, wine quality and cultivation.
More on the topic:
Château La Gaffeliere leaves Saint-Emilion classification
Château Angélus also leaves the classification of Saint-Émilion
Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Ausone withdraw from Saint-Emilion classification
(uka / Source: La Revue du Vin de France - Photo: Château Croque-Michotte)