Second wines

Who among the wine lovers that we are has not dreamed of drinking one of these great Médoc wines, a Lafite-Rothschild, a Château Latour, a Château Margaux or even an Ausone, a Cheval Blanc, a Lafleur du Libournais.

Obviously we dream of it but it is not given to all budgets and the quantities available are minimal. On the other hand, you can afford the second wine of a château at a lower cost, sometimes up to a quarter of the price of the great wine.

Second wines have been around for a long time but they proliferated from the 1980s, mainly in Bordeaux. Several of the châteaux have developed a second wine and sometimes even a third, for various reasons, but above all commercial.

The second wines receive the same care in the vineyard and are generally vinified and aged in the same way as the great wines. The grapes, however, come from younger vines or less favored parts of the vineyard, which does not give them the concentration and power of the main wine.

These latter are always identified with the Château and offer you the bouquet and the main characteristics of the great wine. They are very good wines with excellent value for money.

Producing a second wine allows the Château to keep the best of its terroir to ensure that the quality of its great wine is preserved. The latter, thus produced in smaller quantities, sells at a higher price on the market.

The second wine offers a lighter and aperitif version of the main wine, which makes it attractive and seductive.

Here is a short list that will make your mouth water:

Enjoy the discovery!