I just picked up a bottle of 2010 l’esprit de Chevalier for $27.50. I am curious to see how it compares to Lanessan, Cambon la Pelouse, Senejac, etc. in this price range. Has anyone tried this wine or have thoughts on this bottling?
I used to enjoy Carruades de Lafite. After the whole Lafite / China craze took off, and once it became more expensive than Montrose, I sold all the bottles I owned. I have enjoyed the few Alter Ego(s) de Palmer I have had.
My favourite would have to be Les Forts as well, but it is just not worth the price anymore. I also have a fondness for Pavillon Rouge. The 2004 is drinking incredibly well right now - and for the ~$40 I paid, a stunning value.
Do Rioja Reservas count as second wines? If so, how about Finca Ygay and Heredia Bosconia/ Tondonia?
I have liked Dame Montrose, Rose de Gruaud, and Croix Beaucaillou…many vintages have been very reasonably priced.
I have never chased and have rarely bought second labels. The association with the prime label means nothing to me if the wine does not stand on its own. Most are not that great, and many are not great values either.
A Chateau that produces a second label that has worked for me is Vieux Chateau Certain. As much as I love VCC, I will not plunk down the $350+ for the stellar 2010. The second label, La Gravette de Certan, produced an outstanding 2010 at all of $50. It’s the classic old school Pomerol that you expect from VCC, and backward to boot, but layered with so much stuffing. It easily competes with other Bordeaux in that $50 class, but on its own, is a much better wine and value than many first label Pomerols from 2010.
I don’t think of the various bottlings in Rioja as 2nds wines but perhaps others might. Generally I thought of joven/crianza/reserva etc. as the regions way of showing how much aging a wine had. And typically, the better vats were the ones that got more time in the cellar before release. It does seem like some producers are moving away from this form of labelling though.
Robert: Thanks for the comment of the Gravette de Certan. I’ll keep it on the radar screen.
The counterpoint, Arv, to Rioja’s reserva/crianza as not representative of 2nd wines would be that they, or at least a few bodegas that I am aware of, would only make Gran Reserva wines in “exceptional” vintages. To me, that process, including the deliberate differentials in aging lengths, relegates the reservas/crianzas to 2nd/3rd wines.
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Hmm. Does that mean the estates in France which offer a Tete du Cuvee are saying their regular wine is really a 2nd?
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While one mulls that over…I think a better deal for consumers is to look not for the 2nds but other estates where the quality/production standards/personnel of the wine is similar but doesn’t come with the same label affiliation.
Examples of that might include Hacienda Monasterio instead of Flor de Pingus in Spain, or Moulin St Georges instead of Chapelle d’Ausone.
FYI alter ego is not a true second wine… just like clos de marquis is not for Las Cases…the true second wine for Las Cases is ‘Le Petit Lion’ du Marquis de Las Cases
Marc,
I have great difficulty in imagining Clos du Marquis, les Forts de Latour, Alter Ego, etc. as anything other than second wines.
I think it’s simply a question of semantics and spin.
OK, so they come from a specific part of the estate. Got that. But they are a lesser wine made by one château. That makes them a second wine in my book, period. Of course, they can say whatever they want, if it helps them to charge more, or to make the second wines seem more glamorous.
Best regards,
Alex R.
Spin or not, I consider Clos du Marquis a second wine, and a delicious one at that. The only factor that makes me think of it as a separate entity is that is bears little or no resemblance to Las Cases in terms of style.
Dame de Montrose is one of my favorite Bordeaux to drink young-ish. When I can find it at a good price I buy.
I thought I’ve seen the Carruades vineyard on Bordeaux maps. Do they blend in grand cru grapes with these to make Carruades a true second?
When I first got into wine, the 1983 Carruades were my special occasion wines, I’ll bet I bought three cases of it! I also loaded up on the 2000, but have sold most of it.
The same is true for many second wines from BDX. New plots or plots known to under perform or have a style all their own, get the second label. Les Forts is one.
It was a shame that greed dumped La Tour Haut Brion in with La Mission a few years back. That was always a remarkable wine at a reasonable price. I treasure my few remaining bottles.
Of course there are terrific second labels - You just have to be more selective with them as the quality can be more up and down than the main wine.
and - In today’s pricing market, I am seeing way too many second labels priced like their flagships from various wholesalers and retailers across the country - like it’s the same wine.
It’s always best to taste before you buy a second label - unless the press is going nuts across the board and it’s cheap on the futures market -
While this seemed slightly on the modern side of the spectrum, it was pretty tasty. I picked up a 12 pack of .375’s for 14 each.
2010 L’Esprit de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (11/20/2015)
Dark in color. Black fruits, coffee, and char initially. With air, a bit of pencil shavings and bell pepper emerges. On the palate there is a fair amount of dark fruit but the wine is not heavy at all. Good acid and medium tannin. As you’d expect, the wine is not as dense or structured as the primary bottling but this is a nice wine. I am going to pick up some more. (89 pts.)
We cracked an '01 Bahans haut brion at a local wine bar 4 years back for about $45…a top ten Bordeaux for me…I have tasted the big brother 3X’s …I would rather have the bahans
The alter ego is great also…I love '02 and '04
Just had the 2010 second wine of sociando…$20…nice
Clos du Marquis is another mistaken second wine…but ‘le petit lion’ is the second wine of Las Cases
Dame de Montrose is good and reasonably priced. Just had the 2010 the other day and it was really nice.
Chapelle de Ausone is good too but getting pricey.
I have a few Les Forts de Latour and Pavillon de Margaux but after tasting them I think I could have spend the money more wisely.
Alfert and I popped an '04 reserve de comtesse 4 years back…it was stellar…very pauillac