New Cru Bourgeois ”stamp” launched (2): How will it work? Will it work?

Will this be useful for the consumers? Very doubtful. On the other hand there are several questions: How will a wine consumer know if a wine (not a chateau) is CB or not? Will the producers be allowed to use “Cru Bourgeois” in their marketing communications, in spite of that they may not achieve CB every year? In practice it would mean that the chateaux can not write in e.g. their brochures that they are “Cru Bourgeois” since it varies from year to year… Or will the standards be set so low that everyone (who pays the fee to the Cru Bourgeois organisation) will be virtually guaranteed to pass?

Let’s say that the Chateau Xyz during a few years fail to get the CB label (perhaps because they make a wine in a style that is not liked by the tasting panel) will they then simply stop paying the fees to the CB organisation? Quite likely. Or, as a consequence, will the tasting committee have a tendency to be ‘co-operative’ since if they are not they will loose members?...

There are many questions around the new Cru Bourgeois label (not classification!) and we will probably not have the answers until it has existed for quite a few years. But the initial impression is that it will hardly make it easier for the consumer. And that one is rather trying to profit (with or without reason) from a classification that was created in 1932 and that has been annulled by the courts.

Read more on www.crus-bourgeois.com

Related articles

• New Cru Bourgeois "stamp" launched (1): new rules (bkwineblog.blogspot.com)
• The 2000 Château Sociando-Mallet is ready to drink and wonderfully seductive (manageyourcellar.blogspot.com)