Kevin O'Connell wrote:my first thought goes to those who would bash second wines, don't use this one as an example to make your case.
I liked this wine a lot on release, and it was $15. Will continue to hold.
I'm not sure I qualify as a "basher" of second wines, but I continue to generally NOT find them to be values (the $15 '00 Sarget is an exception). Maybe some wines in certain vintages, but in general not something I buy w/o tasting (exception might be Fiefs de Lagrange, which is always reasonable and usually good). My reasons:
1) Several writers (notably Kevin Zraly) and retailers (notably Morrells) push second wines as a way to taste the style of the Grand Vin at a fraction of the price. That has led to considerable price increases of the second wines, at least of the 1st and Superseconds and their equivalents. Forts de Latour is typically one of the best seconds, but it is now 2-3 times as expensive as the grand vin from estates like Talbot, Lagrange, du Tertre. Similarly, Petit Cheval is 3-4 times what Barde-Haut or Grand Corbin Despagne go for.
2) the idea that it gives you a taste of the grand vin's style is questionable. The problem is every estate has different standards as to what goes into the grand vin and what goes into the second (and possibly third, and whether more grapes sold off are sold off to be bottled generically). Some estates have very steady production rates, others don't. Some stick pretty closely to a general cepage, others vary dramatically year to year. Lots of factors mix in. Clos du Marquis is generally regarded as one of the top seconds. But in actual terms it's really a wine from a separate plot, closer to a wine like Ch. d'Armailhac than a real second, because those vines are never used in the grand vin. That's very different from a wine like La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion where each plot is evaluated each year. I saw figures that the '02 La Mission was 52% Merlot & 48%CabSauv., while the '02 Chapelle/Mission was 3% Merlot, 65%CS & 32% Cab Franc. The property is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, and in an average year cepage might be pretty close to that. But since production of grand vin is far bigger than the second, slight tweaks in La Mission's blend can mean big tweaks in the Chapelle's. Another example is Dame de Montrose, which can be lovely (like in 2000), but doesn't really resemble Montrose in my opinion.
So when I find second wines I like (in '00 that would be the Sarget, Dame de la Montrose, Bahans Haut Brion, and Fiefs de Lagrange) I buy. But I think as a generally buying strategy it is not advisable.
