From medieval shipping vessel to modern flavor architect, the wooden barrel has quietly become one of the most consequential tools in the winemaker's craft.

In a matter of weeks, a group of Bordeaux wine brokers created the most famous hierarchy in wine history. More than 170 years later, it remains the standard against which all other classifications are measured.

For most of history, people drank wine and declared it good or bad. The journey from instinct to analysis is one of the most fascinating untold stories in the world of wine.