Where to Find Bordeaux Second Wines Honolulu HI

Everybody Loves a Deal: Alter Ego

Everybody loves a deal, and some of the best deals in Bordeaux these days are the "second" wines of the top-rated Bordeaux properties.  "Second wines" come from parcels of the vineyard or barrels in the cellar that, for whatever reason, just don't measure up to the producer's standard for that particular year.

Sometimes one grape variety does not ripen as well as the others, and wine made from it finds a home in the second wine.  Other times, the fruit from young vines in the newly-replanted portions of the vineyard is not suitable for prime time.  Much like a manager decides which players make the starting roster and which go to the minor leagues, the winemaking staff tastes wine from the barrels in the cellar as they mature and decide which ones should be relegated to the junior varsity. 

Second wines from top-notch properties such as Château Margaux or Château Palmer are excellent deals for consumers.  While they never will develop the complexity and class of the property's grand vin (first wine), they are ready to drink far sooner, and typically sell for a fraction of the price.  The production of a second wine is a double win for the château.  The quality of the first wine increases instantaneously by removing the lower quality juice.  (Alternative ways to increase quality--upgrading the vineyards or winery--all take considerable time and money).  And though the château sells the second wine at a lower price, they make more than if they sold it off in bulk.  (Wine not deemed suitable for the second wine is still sold off in bulk). 

Château Palmer, one of the great estates in Bordeaux, has 130 acres of vineyards in the village of Margaux.  Classified as a third growth in the Médoc Classification of 1855, it makes better wine than that 19th century ranking indicates.  In some years Palmer outshines its first growth neighbor, Château Margaux.  

Bernard de Laage, Directeur de Developpement at Château Palmer, makes the point that they make "another--as opposed to a second" wine at Palmer, which they call Alter Ego.  Palmer makes a conscious decision to construct two different kinds of wines, according to de Laage.  He stresses Alter Ego is not a true "second" wine, because they start selecting the fruit for it in the vineyard and vinify those grapes differently.  For example, at Château Margaux, all the wine is vinified the same.  The winemaker tastes each barrel and designates some for the grand vin and others for the second wine, Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux.  At Palmer, according to de Laage, certain parts of the vineyard, which may differ year to year, are identified at the time of harvest as producing grapes for Alter Ego.  These grapes are vinified differently to create a more forward drinking style of wine. 

Alter Ego is meant to be less complex, earlier maturing than Palme...