The French term means "growth". It attests to the special quality of a vineyard, a winery or a wine. It is mainly used in France, but also in other countries. Depending on the region, there are different designations in France, such as Cru Classé (in the Pessac-Léognan area in Graves, this is called Cru Classé de Graves), Grand Cru and Premier Cru. Confusingly, not only the cru designations but also the number and order of quality levels vary from region to region.
Other French designations for areas of outstanding quality are Climat, Clos, Côte and Lieu-dit. See comprehensive lists of all classification systems under Grand Cru, the country-specific wine quality hierarchies under Quality System and all vineyard-relevant keywords under Vineyard Area.
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