The ranking comes from the échelle des crus, a scale of grape prices made official in 1911 and set village by village. Villages rated 100 percent were grands crus, those rated 90 to 99 percent premiers crus; a decree of 1 July 1952 reserved the two words for them. The INAO withdrew the scale in 2010 but let the villages keep the words, so premier cru survives on the labels as a reference to the standing of the village.

The premier cru villages ring the grands crus on every side: on the Montagne de Reims, Écueil, Vrigny, Villers-Marmery, Trépail and Ludes; in the Marne Valley, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Dizy, Cumières and Hautvillers; on the Côte des Blancs, Vertus, Cuis, Grauves and Bergères-lès-Vertus. Many of the growers we follow have their vines in these villages.

The page follows the classification on each wine's label. For the rank above, see the grand cru Champagne; for the two kinds of producer, the growers and the grandes maisons.

The wines above are the premier cru Champagnes in the cellar. See all our Champagne or the new arrivals.