Second Label Confusion

Posted 02/13/2008 at 08:23 AM by Ben

In a great vintage like 2005, the so-called second label wines put out by many prestigious Bordeaux château can be great bargains.  Second label wines come from the same vineyards as in the estates first wine, but typically cost about half as much. They're cheaper because they are made from young vines and from lots that had to be declassified for various reasons. However, the better ones are closer in style and quality to the more expensive Grand Vin than you might imagine based strictly on the price difference.

But second labels can also be confusing. Case in point: the e-mail I received this morning from a local Washington, DC retail shop touting a wine called 2005 Moulin d'Issan, a second label of the prestigious Château d'Issan in Margaux. Since the gorgeous Chateau d'Issan 2005 now sells for about $70 and, like all 2005 Bordeaux, seems to be going up in price every day, I have to admit my curiosity was piqued when I saw this second label being offered for just $17.99.

But there was a little problem. What I recalled as the second label of Chateau d'Issan was a wine called Blason d'Issan. In fact, when I interviewed Emmanuel Cruse, the owner of Chateau d'Issan, last summer for WinetasteTV.com, he brought with him both the 2005 Chateau d'Issan and the 2005 Blason d'Issan for me to taste. Both were superb. The most obvious difference was that the Grand Vin had a lot more structure for aging and more toasty new oak on the nose. But the Blason showed plenty of Margaux finesse, and was actually the more enjoyable for drinking now and over the next four or five years, because the first wine needed time to mellow out and to shed its formidable tannins.

Moulin d'Issan, as I discovered after a bit of research, is also a second label of Chateau d'Issan, but with an important difference. Unlike Blason d'Issan, it's not AOC Margaux, but is instead classified as a Bordeaux Superieur, a fairly lowly appellation. It comes from a parcel within the estate that doesn't qualify for the Margaux appellation because the soils aren't good enough.

In Bordeaux, differences in soil quality are nothing to sneeze at. In fact, such differences are the basis for almost the entire Bordeaux quality hierarchy of classifications and appellations. I've tasted Moulin d'Issan on several occasions, and it's definitely a nice wine. But frankly, I wouldn't put it in the same class with Blason d'Issan, to say nothing of Chateau d'Issan.

I don't mean to suggest in any respect that either the wine shop or Château d'Issan has done anything wrong here. In fact, at $17.99, 2005 Moulin d'Issan is definitely worth a try.

But, I would also suggest picking up a bottle or two of 2005 Blason d'Issan and of Chateau d'Issan while you're at it. I'm certain that you'll pay a lot more than $17.99 for them, and I'm equally certain that you'll find the money well spent.

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