St-Emilion 2006 classification rides again

Stop press – According to an official decree published yesterday, the 2006 classification of the wines of St-Emilion is once again operative, just in time for the printing of labels for the 2006 vintage.

You will remember that certain wine producers whose noses were put out of joint by the decisions made in this classification, which is officially reviewed every 10 years, brought an action which led to the thoroughly inconvenient suspension of the 2006 reclassification. Producers were in a quandary as, during the suspension, they were unable to put those magic words Grand Cru Classé on their labels.

Sighs of relief all round – well, round most Châteaux anyway.