Second wine or second label (French: Second vin) is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label. In some cases a third wine or even fourth wine is also produced. Depending on the house winemaking style, individual plots of a vineyard may be selected, often those of the youngest vines, and fermented separately, with the best performing barrels being chosen for the house's top wine and the other barrels being bottled under a separate label and sold for a lower price than the Grand vin.
In less favorable vintages, an estate may choose to release only a second label wine rather than to release a smaller than normal quantity of its Grand vin or a wine that would not be consistent with past vintages under that name. The practice has its roots in the 18th century but became more commercially prominent in the 1980s when consumers discovered these wines as a more affordable way to drink the product of a First growth or classified Bordeaux estate without paying the premium for the estate's label and classification.J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 618–619 Oxford University Press 2006 The opposite phenomenon, of only releasing a top wine in exceptional years (rather than in most years) is seen in Iberia (Spain and Portugal) in "Gran Reserva" reserve wine and vintage port.
From the producer's point of view, a second wine allows the winery to use a stricter selection for its Grand Vin, while still capitalising on its name and distribution channels in selling the second wine, which will be much more profitable than selling off lesser wine "anonymously" to be used in e.g. negociant bulk bottlings.
History The practice of establishing a second wine began in the 18th century as way for Bordeaux winemakers to be more selective of the wine going into their estate label wine without wasting the remaining wine. According to records, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande shipped its "second wine" of the 1874 vintage to the 1891 Exposition française in Moscow, although La Réserve de la Comtesse would not be for sale to the public until 1973.pichon-lalande.com Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, la Réserve de la Comtesse Château Brane-Cantenac may have had a second label some time in the 18th century according to Decanter, but more evidently, Château Léoville-Las Cases first produced its Clos du Marquis in 1904, and Château Margaux followed with Pavillon Rouge produced from 1908.
Château Mouton Rothschild released the poor 1927 vintage, then named Carruades de Mouton, followed in 1930 by Mouton Cadet as a second label, selling wine from previous difficult harvests considered unfit as château Grand vin vintage at reduced prices, eventually to successful response.winepros.com.au. The estate has since expanded with more labels pushing Mouton Cadet further down its portfolio, with Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild currently the estate's second wine and Mouton Cadet evolving into its own brand with a distinctly different marketing strategy.
In the drive to higher quality that has taken place in recent decades, additional Bordeaux châteaux have added second wine. With the increased market competition since the 1980s, estates became more selective in the assemblage stage, making greater parts of the production disposed to be either sold off in bulk, or blended into second (or third) wine.winepros.com.au. winepros.com.au. For example, since the 2009 vintage, Château Margaux has produced three wines that are bottled, and a fourth wine which is sold in bulk.
Having a second wine is generally a part of the recipe prescribed by Michel Rolland and similar wine-making consultants. As an example, Château Kirwan, a Third Growth in Margaux, added their second wine Les Charmes de Kirwan in 1993, after Rolland was brought in.
Production In many ways the production of a second wine mirrors the production of estate's Grand vin being made from the same vineyard, with the same blend of grapes and by the same winemaker. Some selection takes place already after harvest, when plots that are often underperforming or are planted with younger vines will be earmarked for the second wine, which means that they receive a "cheaper" treatment with a lower percentage of new barrels. Additional selection will be done after the barrel aging when the winemaker will isolate the best performing barrels that most reflects the house style of the estate label with the remaining wine being bottled under second or even third and fourth labels.
The second wine may have some hints and characteristics of the estate wine but is typically less polished and structured than the estate wine. An estate will rarely promote its second wines and most wine labels will not even mention the parent estate because of the desire to keep the estate solely associated with its Grand vin.K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 148 Workman Publishing 2001 However, some high end producers market their second wine as a "wine for earlier consumption" (i.e., quicker to mature) rather than "a lesser wine".
Naming and classification practices Second wines often do not have the word "château" in their name, but they frequently sport some other part of their winery's name to add name recognition. The second wines of classified growths, since they are different wines, are not themselves part of the 1855 classification or other classifications. They are, however, entitled to use the same appellation as the Grand Vin, as they originate from the same terroir. As an example, Les Forts de Latour is an AOC Pauillac just like Château Latour, but is not a First Growth or any other kind of classified growth.
List of Bordeaux second and third wines
Médoc 1855 classed growths First Growth estates Second wine Third wineChâteau Latour Les Forts de LatourLe Pauillac de Château LatourLe Pauillac de Château Latour , Château LatourChâteau Margaux Pavillon Rouge de Château MargauxMargaux de Château MargauxChâteau Mouton-RothschildLe Petit Mouton de Mouton RothschildChâteau Haut-Brion Le Clarence de Haut-Brion (previously Château Bahans Haut-Brion)Robinson, Jancis, jancisrobinson.com (May 24, 2008). La Mission celebrates 25 years Château Lafite RothschildCarruades de Lafite-RothschildAnseillan Second Growth estatesChâteau Rauzan-Ségla SéglaChâteau Rauzan-Gassies Chevalier de Rauzan-Gassies (previously Enclos de Moncabon)Château Léoville-Las Cases Le Petit Lion de Marquis de las Cases (replaced Clos du Marquis since 2007)Château Léoville-Poyferré Pavillon de Léoville-Poyferré (previously Château Moulin Riche )Château Léoville BartonLa Réserve de Léoville BartonChâteau Durfort-Vivens Vivens de Durfort-Vivens (previously Domaine de Curebourse)Château Gruaud-Larose Sarget de Gruaud-LaroseChâteau Lascombes Chevalier de LascombesChâteau SegonnesChâteau Brane-Cantenac Baron de BraneChâteau Pichon Longueville Baron Les Tourelles de Longueville(formally known as Baronet de Pichon) and Les Griffons de Pichon BaronChâteau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Reserve de la ComtesseChâteau Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix de BeaucaillouLe Petit Ducru de Ducru-BeaucaillouChâteau Cos d'Estournel Les Pagodes de CosChâteau Montrose La Dame de MontroseLe St-Estèphe de MontroseThird Growth estatesChâteau KirwanLes Charmes de KirwanChâteau d'IssanBlason d'IssanChâteau Lagrange Les Fiefs de LagrangeChâteau Langoa Barton Lady LangoaChâteau Giscours La Sirène de GiscoursChâteau Malescot St. Exupéry La Dame de MalescotChâteau Cantenac-Brown Brio de Cantenac-BrownChâteau Boyd-Cantenac Jacques BoydChâteau Palmer Alter Ego de Palmer (replaced Réserve du Général in 1998)mahler-besse.fr Alter Ego de Palmer Château La Lagune Moulin de la LaguneChâteau Desmirail Initial de DesmirailChâteau Calon-Ségur Le Marquis de Calon-SégurChâteau Ferrière Les Remparts de FerrièreChâteau Marquis d'Alesme BeckerMarquise d'AlesmeFourth Growth estatesChâteau TalbotConnétable de TalbotChâteau Branaire-Ducru Duluc de Branaire-DucruChâteau Duhart-Milon-Rothschild Moulin de DuhartChâteau PougetAntoine PougetChâteau La Tour Carnet Les Douves de CarnetChâteau Lafon-Rochet Les Pélerins de Lafon-RochetChâteau Beychevelle Amiral de BeychevelleChâteau Prieuré-Lichine Confidance de Prieuré-LichineChâteau Marquis de Terme Les Gondats de Marquis de TermeChâteau Saint-PierreEsprit de Saint-PierreFifth Growth estatesChâteau Pontet-Canet Les Hauts de Pontet-CanetChâteau Haut-Batailley Verso (formerly known as Château La Tour l'Aspic) Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Lacoste-BorieChâteau Grand-Puy-Ducasse Prélude à Grand-Puy DucasseChâteau Lynch-Bages Echo de Lynch-BagesPauillac de Lynch-BagesChâteau du Tertre Les Hauts du Tertre Château Dauzac Aurore de Dauzac and La Bastide de DauzacChâteau LabardeChâteau Haut-Bages-Libéral La Chapelle de BagesChâteau Pédesclaux Fleur de PédesclauxLe Haut-Médoc de PédesclauxChâteau Belgrave Diane de BelgraveChâteau de Camensac La Closerie de CamensacChâteau Cos Labory Le Charme LaboryChâteau Croizet Bages La Tourelle de Croizet-BagesChâteau Cantemerle Les Allées de CantemerleBaronne CarolineChâteau Clerc MilonPastourelle de Clerc MilonChâteau BatailleyLions de BatailleyChâteau Lynch-MoussasLes Hauts de Lynch-Moussas
Sauternes 1855 classed growths First Growth estates Second wineChâteau La Tour Blanche Les Charmilles de Tour BlancheChâteau Lafaurie-Peyraguey La Chapelle de Lafaurie-PeyragueyChâteau Clos Haut-Peyraguey La Gourmandise de Clos Haut-PeyragueyChâteau de Rayne-Vigneau Madame de RayneChâteau Suduiraut Castelnau de SuduirautChâteau Coutet Chartreuse de CoutetChâteau Climens Cyprès de ClimensChâteau Guiraud Petit GuiraudChâteau Rieussec Carmes de Rieussec (previously Clos la Bere)Château Sigalas-Rabaud Lieutenant de SigalasSecond Growth estatesChâteau Doisy-Dubroca La Demoiselle de DoisyChâteau Doisy-Védrines Château Petit VédrinesChâteau d'Arche Prieuré d'ArcheChâteau Nairac Esquisse de NairacChâteau Caillou Les Erables de CaillouChâteau de Malle Saint-HélèneChâteau Romer du Hayot Château Andoyse du HayotChâteau Lamothe Les Tourelles de LamotheChâteau Lamothe-Guignard L'ouest de Lamothe-Guignard
Other Bordeaux