Chateau Lafite – in 1855 when the classification was done, it was called Chateau Lafite and owned by the De Segur family. It was purchased in 1868 by James Rothschild who changed the name of the winery to Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The 5 arrows on the bottle represent the 5 sons of Amschel Rothschild
Chateau Latour – which at one time had the same owner as Lafite and Calon Segur
Chateau Margaux – which at one time had the same owner as Haut Brion. Margaux is the only growth wine that is named after the region it comes from. Lafite, Latour , Margaux and 2 other wineres (D’Issan & Beychevelle) were the only “chateaus” in the 1855 classification system
Haut Brion – one of the oldest wineries. Wines have produced at this vineyard since 1521. Originally, the estate was named Aubrion and was part of the dowry given when the Mayor of Libourne’s daughter got married. One of the reasons for its popularity prior to 1855 is that the owner of the estate had opened up a tavern in England to sell these wines, which gave it great notoriety. It is the only winery outside of the Haut Medoc/Medoc region to be included as a growth wine. Haut Brion has the most merlot in its blend of all the First Growths
Mouton Rothschild – in 1855, it was the top wine in the 2nd growth level. It was purchased in 1720 by Joseph de Brane who names it Brane Mouton. Then it was purchased by Nathanial Rothschild in 1853, who change the name of the winery to Mouton Rothschild. Through years of hard work and lobbying by Baron Phillippe de Rothschild, Mouton was elevated to first growth status in 1973. It is the only time a wine has been elevated