First Growths are the highest-ranked estates in the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, a hierarchy created for the Exposition Universelle in Paris under Napoleon III. The designation originally recognized four Médoc châteaux, Lafite, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion, with Mouton Rothschild elevated in 1973, making classification central to their historical importance.
The term refers less to a legal appellation than to a commercial and cultural rank based on nineteenth-century market reputation, price, and perceived quality. First Growth wines remain global benchmarks for Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux, associated with longevity, structure, prestige, and the enduring influence of historical hierarchy on the fine wine market.