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Cru Bourgeois selects 267 chateaux from 2012 vintage

Published:  23 September, 2014

The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc has chosen 267 chateaux to represent the region's best wines from the 2012 vintage - bringing numbers to their highest level in the five years since the selection was relaunched.

Since 2010, when wines from the 2008 vintage were selected, 146 million bottles have been released under the Cru Bourgeois official selection banner.

The chosen chateaux account for around 4,100 ha of vines across some of the region's top appellations.

A total of 29 million bottles, or 30% of the Médoc's production, is set to be marketed with a special label by the Alliance in France and overseas. Those wines selected are drawn from Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis, Margaux, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe.

The average price of a bottle of Cru Bourgeois is £17, with prices ranging from around £10 up to £47. Since the reclassification of the system around 40% of Cru Bourgeois now have a presence in the UK. 

A total of 188 of the 267 wines will be shown at the London Crus Bourgeois Trade and Press Tasting this Thursday, at which there will also be a master class led by Bordeaux expert Stephen Brook entitled "Crus Bourgeois - The first five years of the innovative quality assurance system."

 The tasting will be free-pour and will run from 10am to 5pm at The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. Contact Louise Hill on crusbourgeois@phillips-hill.co.uk to register.

The Cru Bourgeois system was re-invented in 2010 following controversy over quality when the 2003 revision of the original classification was annulled by the French government in 2007, resulting in a ban of the use of the term.

The current system promotes an average benchmark dependent on vintage quality. With this in mind the wines to be included are chosen by a tasting panel made up of wine professionals and excluding chateau owners.

All chateaux are classed together - there are no upper levels such as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnnels or Superieurs.

For  a complete list of the official 2012 selection visit here

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