The Bordeaux wine region is divided into sub-regions including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Médoc, and Graves. In 1855 a classification system was made at the request of Emperor Napoleon III for the Exposition Universelle de Paris. This came to be known as The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, which ranked the wines into five categories according to price. The first growth red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), are among the most expensive wines in the world.

The first growths are:

• Château Lafite-Rothschild
• Château Margaux
• Château Latour
• Château Haut-Brion
• Château Mouton Rothschild

In 1955, St. Émilion AOC were classified, adding an additional two Premier Crus (Class A):

• Château Ausone
• Château Cheval Blanc

There is no official classification applied to Pomerol. However some Pomerol wines, notably Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin, are unofficially rated as being equivalent to the first growths, and often sell for even higher prices.