What is the definition of each subject term?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
Both terms are French in both concept and language, and both connote a higher quality ranking in terms of vineyard source. The usage differs according to region, however, and that does not make it possible to arrive at a universal definition. In Champagne and Bourgogne, for example, Grand Cru denotes the highest level of vineyard and wine. There are 17 villages (not individual vineyards) rated as Grand Cru in Champagne whereas there are 33 vineyards of that top rank in Bourgogne. In these two regions, Premier (or 1er, the French equivalent of 1st) Cru, while still near the top of the quality hierarchy, is one step lower. When it comes to Bordeaux, on the other hand, the wording may be combined. The celebrated 1855 Classification, which has survived largely intact to this day, placed a handful of brands (estates or châteaux, not the vineyards or wines themselves) at the pinnacle of five classes, designating each of the so-called "First Growths" a Premier Grand Cru Classé. The district of Saint-Emilion uses the same terminology for its best wines while recognizing the rest of its classified properties as Grand Cru Classé. In a roughly similar fashion, the Graves district of Bordeaux groups all of its finest properties together under one designation, Grand Cru Classé de Graves. In other words, there are variable definitions in each part of Bordeaux. The ranking of 51 elite vineyards in Alsace as Grand Cru is yet another regional variation. Finally, the term Cru by itself is also used to assign official superiority to certain denominations, as with Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie in the Rhône Valley. In this case, all the vineyards within the entire appellation are entitled to the Cru designation, yet the word very rarely appears on the label; all appellations which have been granted Cru status are judged to be the highest level of quality in this or other regions following this approach. What this suggests is that you have to know the standards, practices and even some of the history of each region to understand the many subtle variations in meaning associated with the various usages of Cru for French wines.
