premier cru or premier cru classé is a cru judged of the first rank, usually according to some official classification. The direct translation of the French term premier cru, much used in the context of bordeaux, is first growth. A premier grand cru (classé) or premier cru supérieur may, as in the case of st-émilion and Ch d’yquem, be a rung higher even than this. In Burgundy, scores of vineyards are designated premiers crus, capable of producing wine distinctly superior to village wine but not quite so great as the produce of the grands crus. See burgundy in general and each of the villages on the côte d’or in particular. See also erstes gewächs, erste lage, and chaume.
