Second Wines

Second wines are wines that are either made from lesser grapes or wines which had not made the final blend in some top wineries. This concept originated from the Bordeaux chateaux, but is not limited to them. Lesser grapes can result from many causes: the vines have been replanted and they are younger or the plot is of an inferior soil or aspect. It could be due to uneven flowering, fruit set or ripening. In order the protect the reputation of the grand vin, the lesser grapes are vinified and sold separately. Sometimes, even after initial sorting some barrels intended for the grand vin did not turn out to be up to standard, and so to ensure the quality of the grand vin, the substandard barrel is relegated to the second wine.

The obsessive may think that the presence of a second wine (imperfect but good nonetheless) can still have a negative impact on the wines of the estate. They choose to declassify any wine not up to their perfectionist standard and sell it off anonymously as generic wine of that appellation, or else they even discard it. Sometimes that could mean a whole vintage, so no wine of a poor vintage is released from that property. Examples of this practice include Petrus and Yquem.

Of course one can have a barrel or two of perfection when all the conditions are right. Then they can also be bottled separately as a super cuvee. Examples include Cuvee Madame of Ch Tirecule-la-Graviere (Monbazaillac) and L'Extragant of Ch Diosy-Daene (Barsac). That is the opposite of a second wine.