Understandably, wine producers in the Graves sub-region were none too pleased that only one of their reds, the Château Haut-Brion, was classified in 1855. But almost a century had passed before they could rectify the situation. Up until 1935, when the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO), with regulatory authority over all the wines of France, was founded, the apparatus for change had yet to come into existence.

In 1953, the INAO made its maiden effort to officially rate the red wines of the Graves district, and a revision rating was made in 1959. The 1953 classification included 13 red Graves wines, though they weren’t individually ranked. All of the district’s top estates, such as Chateau Haut Brion, Château La Mission-Brion, Domaine de Chevalier, and Château Pape Clement, were deemed to be Crus Classés, or classified growths.