Grand Cru champagne versus Premier Cru champagne - and why you shouldn’t care (too much)
First of all: yes, it is confusing. The champagne classification system uses the terms Grand Cru and Premier Cru, and there’s no way to tell which one is better unless someone tells you (it’s Grand Cru). But what’s even more confusing is how every single wine region in France has its own classification system and gives different meaning to the categories. This makes a Grand Cru in Champagne different from a Grand Cru in Burgundy or Bordeaux, for example. Can nothing ever be simple? Well of course not, what’s the fun in that?
In this article, let’s get you some answers though.
Soil characteristics per (sub) region
Ever since the early days of winemaking, producers have noticed major differences in wine quality based on location. Some regions are simply too hot to grow grapes, or too cold, too wet or too dry. But even where winemaking is possible, there are a lot of differences within the region. In Champagne, for example, there’s a lot of chalk in the subregions Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, whereas marl dominates in Vallée de la Marne. This impacts the flavour of the grapes and therefore the champagne we drink. The same goes for Bordeaux, where the left bank is dominated by gravelly soils (best for cabernet sauvignon) and the right bank has much more clay and limestone (best for merlot). And what about Burgundy, where Chablis is known for its Kimmeridgian marl (just like parts of Champagne!) whereas the Côte d’Or is famous for its chalky soils.
Another factor is sun hours and exposure. In cold climate regions like the Loire Valley, Alsace and, again, Champagne, grapes need as much sunlight as they can possibly get, which is why the best vineyards are often located on the southern slopes of the hills. This way, the sun has the perfect angle on the vines, which benefit from its warmth for more hours a day than vines on northern, eastern or western slopes. The slopes themselves also play a role, as vines that are located halfway or up the hill benefit from better drainage and stronger roots, which is crucial for good quality grapes.
The Champagne classification system
Long story short: the areas within a wine region aren’t equal. Hence, the wine classification system. In Champagne, wine villages with the best conditions for grape growing are ranked highest. The vineyards around these villages often lie on slopes with chalky soils for good drainage, have just the right level of stress (not too many nutrients, so roots grow deep and strong), and benefit from exposure and shelter that protect them from harsh winds and cold.
Grand Cru – the very best villages (only 17 have this status).
Premier Cru – the next tier of high-quality villages (around 40).
Cru – all the other classified villages.
With this system, Champagne differs from Bordeaux and Burgundy, which each have a system of their own. Bordeaux based its classification system on wine houses, which has barely been revised since 1855, making it an outdated system that doesn’t include high quality newcomers (which luckily many people know). In Burgundy, the classification system is based on individual vineyards, making it the most terroir-based system of the three.
The problem with Grand Cru and Premier Cru champagne
If Champagne had chosen the Burgundy classification system, they would’ve been fine (or at least better off). Instead, they chose to base their system on whole villages, and this is where the problem lies. The areas surrounding a village can still have massive differences in soil, temperature and sun hours. These differences can be caused by hills, nearby forests, or water (vines growing on the banks of a river are incomparable to those on the top of a hill).
Then there’s also something called micro-climate, where a very small area (sometimes even a corner of a vineyard) differs from the rest of the sub region. Clos du Mesnil by Krug is a great example of this. A clos means ‘closed’ and in wine terminology this stands for a vineyard surrounded by walls, often centuries old. As these walls capture and reflect heat, grapes inside the clos ripen differently than those outside, resulting in different champagne. In the case of Clos du Mesnil by Krug, this means chalky minerality with an extra layer of ripeness.
You’ll understand that if even one single vineyard can differ from the rest, there’s no use in ranking an entire village as ‘Grand Cru’ or ‘Premier Cru’. Not to mention the influence of the champagne producer himself, whose choices have a deep impact on his champagnes:
Farming approach: organic, biodynamic, or conventional methods in the vineyard.
Blending decisions: non-vintage blends from multiple vineyards versus single-vineyard or vintage wines.
Malolactic fermentation: whether it’s encouraged, blocked, or partially used.
Aging vessels: oak casks versus stainless steel tanks.
Time on lees: from the legal minimum to extended periods for greater complexity.
My advice? Ignore the classification system
Knowing all of the above, it’s safe to say you can let go of the entire champagne classification system. There are simply too many differences within one village, so there’s no way of telling whether a Grand Cru will get you great champagne. Some producers in the village might do an amazing job with vineyards on amazing locations, whereas on the other side of town, things could look completely different. Then there’s the producers who can turn grapes from mediocre vineyards into pure gold because of the choices they make. Conclusion: there’s no other way to find out what’s good than to go to Champagne and try as many different cuvées as you can find.
Bummer, right?