
Second wine or second label (French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with
Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...
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
Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...
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
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
) 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 wine
Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...
makers 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.co]
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
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc region, 50 km (30 mi) north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ''Château Brane-Mouton'', its red wine was renamed by N ...
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 label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily inclu ...
s 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
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...
as the Grand Vin, as they originate from the same terroir
(; ; from ''terre'', ) is a French language, French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, th ...
. 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
Sauternes 1855 classed growths
Other Bordeaux
List of non-Bordeaux second and third wines
California
Italy
Spain
See also
* Reserve wine ( Gran Reserva)
* Vintage port
References
Great Growths of 1855 official site, Second wines dossier PDF
grand-cru-classe.com
{{Refend
Bordeaux wine
Wine terminology