page_title: Cru (wine)
section_title: Grand cru
hierarchical_section_title: Cru (wine) / Grand cru
caption_attribution_description: French Grand Cru Champagne from the village of Ambonnay, a Bernard Brémont Millesime 2004.
context_page_description: Cru is "a vineyard or group of vineyards, especially one of recognized quality". It is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croître". As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity. .. considered from the point of view of the nature of the soil as communicating a particular character to its produce, notably to wine". It may thus be defined as: "Terroir as a place of production" or an "Ensemble of terrains considered from the point of view of what grows there, from a particular cultivation." More specifically, cru is often used to indicate a specifically named and legally defined vineyard or ensemble of vineyards and the vines "which grow on [such] a reputed terroir; by extension of good quality." The term is also used to refer to the wine produced from such vines. The term cru is often used within classifications of French wine. By implication, a wine that displays the name of its cru on its wine label is supposed to exhibit the typical characteristics of this cru.
context_section_description: Grand cru (French for 'great growth') is a regional wine classification that designates a vineyard known for its favorable reputation in producing wine. Although often used to describe grapes, wine or cognac, the term is not technically a classification of wine quality per se, but is intended to indicate the potential of the vineyard or terroir. It is the highest level of classification of Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) wines from Burgundy or Alsace. The same term is applied to Châteaux in Saint-Émilion, although in that region it has a different meaning and does not represent the top tier of classification. In Burgundy the level immediately below grand cru is known as premier cru, sometimes written as 1er cru.
caption: A French Grand Cru Champagne from the village of Ambonnay, a Bernard Brémont Millésime [fr] 2004
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