Five-Year Classification, Quality For Value, and Diversity of Châteaux are Key Focuses for Organization
New York, NY (March 31, 2021) – Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, a prestigious and historic Bordeaux classification and family of châteaux, announces today that it has named award-winning public relations agency Magrino PR as its agency of record to spearhead media relations and category strategy for the US market.
The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc is family of wines with roots dating back to the Middle Ages, and as of 2020, is made up of 249 châteaux spanning seven appellations on the Left Bank: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, Margaux, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe. Accounting for 31% of the Médoc’s production, Crus Bourgeois is committed to creating high quality, terroir-driven, and affordable wines. The production is dedicated solely to reds, primarily based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Crus Bourgeois classification was created as a ranking for wines outside of the Cru Classé system, to provide a quality and authenticity guarantee for consumers. Previously released on a yearly basis, in February 2020 Crus Bourgeois revised the classification to be released every five years. The change was made to give consumers confidence in purchasing, while offering producers a longer-term view of their wines’ classifications to better facilitate projects and investments toward quality. Effective with the 2018 vintage and remaining until the 2022 vintage, the five-year classification process is carried out by an entirely independent and impartial verification body.
“The association is extremely happy to promote the new five-year classification to the world, after many years of working to make this new system a reality,” says Armelle Cruse, Vice President of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc and fourth-generation co-owner of Château du Taillan. “For these châteaux reshaping Crus Bourgeois, the five-year classification will be crucial to both achieving individual goals and serving the category’s future.”
The classification is divided into three quality tiers: Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. This hierarchy creates clear goals for winegrowers, while also giving consumers a better idea of expected quality levels. The criteria for classification includes wine quality, regular tasting checks, and environmentally responsible winegrowing. For Crus Bourgeois Supérieur and Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel, two additional criteria are considered: management and the marketing and promotion of wines. In the 2020 Classification, there are 179 Crus Bourgeois châteaux, 56 Crus Bourgeois Supérieur châteaux, and 14 Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel châteaux.
Consumers wishing to purchase Crus Bourgeois wines should look for the term “Cru Bourgeois du Médoc” on the bottle – typically it is featured as an authentication sticker or written on the front label. Across the 249 châteaux, there are a myriad of styles, winemaking philosophies, and personalities—but all are tied together by their commitment to quality and the incredible value their wines offer.
For more information, visit www.crus-bourgeois.com or follow Crus Bourgeois on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
ABOUT CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MEDOC
The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc form the largest family of Bordeaux crus from some of the most prestigious appellations of the Left Bank. This association brings together vineyards with widely differing profiles and terroirs that satisfy a drastic set of requirements. The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification guarantees consumers a standard of quality for every bottle that proudly bears the ‘Crus Bourgeois’ label.
ABOUT MAGRINO
Magrino is an award-winning, preeminent lifestyle public relations and marketing agency with more than 25 years of experience and success. The agency specializes in public relations, marketing, brand development, digital marketing and communications for the world’s most revered luxury brands in travel, real estate, food, wine & spirits, fashion, beauty, health & wellness, home furnishings & design, and consumer goods. The agency combines breakthrough creative ideas, unparalleled strategic insights and intelligence to achieve marketing and business goals for every client. For more information visit magrinopr.com.
