The Maiden ($268)
Bordeaux offers great values in second wines, especially in a stellar vintage year, when the grape quality is high across the board. But so do other regions. Here are a half-dozen second wines worth seeking out.
Le Serre Nuove ($50)
Tenuta dell' Ornellaia (Tuscany)
Tenuta dell' Ornellaia makes some of Tuscany's most coveted wine. Its namesake cuvée—a heady blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cab franc, and petit verdot, can fetch hundreds of dollars a bottle. Le Serre Nuove contains more merlot, for a softer style with lovely berry fruit, but inherits Ornellaia's formidable structure and intensity.
Bin 389 ($30)
Penfolds (Southern Australia)
Penfolds Grange put Australia on the fine-wine map. For mates on a budget, there's Bin 389, or "Baby Grange." It shares the style of Grange, an opulent shiraz-based blend sourced from multiregional vineyards. Released at three years ready to drink, Bin 389 can stand up to some cellaring.
Mas Doix Salanques ($30)
(Priorat, Spain)
From one of Priorat's up-and-comers, this second wine to Mas Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles is a star in its own right. A blend of garnacha, carignan, merlot and syrah, it features bright berry fruit and solid bones. The Mas Doix cellar was established in 1998, but its vineyards, planted on mineral-rich rugged hills, are up to 100 years old.
The Maiden ($268)
Harlan Estates (Napa Valley)
Harlan Estate makes a concentrated cult cabernet that some folks are willing to spend a fortune on. For those with rich tastes only, there's the Maiden. It hails from younger vines on the same tiny Oakville vineyard and is vinified the same up until 15 months. For cult cab lovers, it's a jammy glimpse of glory, for just $268 versus $600 for the Harlan.
Guidalberto ($50)
Tenuta San Guido (Tuscany)
Sassicaia, a Bordeaux-style blend, revolutionized Tuscan winemaking in the 1960s. Guidalberto is considered its second wine, though it comes from adjacent vineyards and is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot rather than cabernet and cabernet franc. It includes 20 percent Sassicaia-designated fruit, and it is aged in barrels used for Sassicaia.
Télégramme ($30)
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe (Rhone)
The region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces earthy, almost untamed red wines from Grenache-based blends. At the venerable Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, the Brunier family has been making wine for almost a century. Vieux Télégraphe is the main wine; Télégramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from vines less than 20 or 30 years old. There's little sacrifice.
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