When mega-chains like Target and H&M launched collaborations with designers like Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld at a fraction of their couture cost, beautiful design was suddenly within reach. A piece from Rodarte, whose couture dresses could fetch upward of $8,000, could be had at Target for $40 a frock. But what’s fresh for fashion is old hat to wineries, who have been in on this game for centuries with their own version of the “ready to wear” concept.
Second labels, as these more affordable wines are known, are the way wineries use grapes that didn’t make the cut for the most expensive bottlings. These could be grapes from the estate’s younger vines, or excess juice from the high-end blend. While a precise grape blend won’t be identical to its costlier counterpart, it’s often made in the same barrels by the same winemaker. Simply put, a second label offers a big taste of a great vintage and the vineyard’s terroir for a small price. What’s more, since a second label isn’t made to sit in your cellar and age, it offers instant gratification—call it “ready to drink.”
Here are 10 bargain bottles from the world’s premier wineries.
T. Solomon Wellborn NV Pinot Noir by Tantara, Santa Barbara County, $19
Featuring Pinot Noir from the same vineyard that makes up Tantara’s $50 Bien Nacido Adobe, this fruity and fresh wine is an exceptional value.
Decoy 2007 Red Wine, Napa Valley, $25
Duckhorn sets the standard at $85 for its Three Palm Merlot, but don’t be fooled by the friendly price tag for this fruity Cabernet-Merlot blend.
Schramsberg Mirabelle NV Brut Rose, North Coast, California, $27
A bottle of J. Schram will set you back $100, but this affordable dry sparkler with raspberry, fig, and spice flavors won’t.
Mount Eden Vineyards 2007 Saratoga Cuvee Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, $28
Full-bodied with crisp citrus and mineral notes at half the price of its sibling, Mount Eden’s Estate Chardonnay.
Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2008 Blanc, Cotes du Rhone, $40
A crisp and refreshing white from Châteauneuf-du- Pape powerhouse Chateau Beaucastel, whose spectacular old-vine Roussanne fetches $175.
Tenuta San Guido 2007 Guidalberto, Tuscany, $45
Super Tuscans like the producer’s famous Sassicaia are often five times the price of this gorgeous wine that has dark cherry and blackberry flavors.
Aromes de Pavie 2006, Bordeaux, $50
The top bottling of the same vintage from this Saint-émilion winery goes for around $300. This second label tastes of cherries and spice with subtle tobacco notes.
Clos Erasmus 2007 Laurel, Priorat, Spain, $50
A full-bodied Garnacha- based wine that has much of the same dark fruit and seductive spice as its $200 big brother.
Seavey Vineyard 2007 Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $55
Perhaps Napa Valley’s best second label, Caravina Cabernet is arguably as hot as Seavey’s cult fave at $95 by rock-star winemaker Philippe Melka.
Araujo Estate 2007 Altagracia Red Wine, Napa Valley, $95
At $275 a bottle, Araujo is a legend among Cab collectors, but Altagracia’s blend with seductive tobacco and earthy notes has its own following.
-Heather John
