Best Bordeaux 2020 second wines
The second wines from Bordeaux's top estates often offer exceptional quality at keen prices making them attractive en primeur buys. See Jane Anson's top-scoring wines.
Second wines are not uncommon in Bordeaux with many of the top estates offering one or two other labels in addition to their red, white or sweet grand vins.
Sometimes they are produced from specific vineyard plots or produced as a more approachable wine for earlier drinking but still with estate signature.
Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the best Bordeaux 2020 second wines
Far from being an afterthought using up leftover grapes, some second wines have garnered critical acclaim and have emerged as fine wines in their own right.
Anson notes in her 2020 en primeur overview that although the second wines should be approached with caution this year, there are a few exceptions. ‘On the Left Bank, I would draw attention to La Croix de Beaucaillou and Pagodes de Cos Blanc, two delicious wines this year,’ she says.
‘You can find two similarly brilliant second wines on the Right Bank that provide an exercise into the impact of different terroirs in the vintage,’ continues Anson.
‘Look at Mondot, the second wine of Troplong Mondot that is on entirely limestone soils, and set it against Blason de L’Evangile, the second wine of L’Evangile with sandy-clay-gravel soils. Both are Merlot dominant, both successful, but very different expressions of the grape.’
Top scoring second label wines
97 points
Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Margaux
95 points
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
94 points
Château Margaux, Pavillon Rouge, Margaux
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de la Mission, Pessac-Léognan
Château Ausone, Chapelle d’Ausone, St-Émilion Grand Cru
93 points
Château Palmer, Alter Ego, Margaux
Château Léoville-Las Cases, Le Petit Lion, St-Julien
Château Calon-Ségur, Marquis de Calon, St-Estèphe
Château Cos d’Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe
Château Lafleur, Les Pensées de Lafleur, Pomerol
Château L’Eglise-Clinet, Petite Eglise, Pomerol
Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac
Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac
Château Pichon Baron, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Pauillac
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Le Petit Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, C de Carmes, Pessac-Léognan
Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval Rouge, St-Émilion Grand Cru
Château Canon, Croix Canon, St-Émilion Grand Cru
Château Troplong Mondot, Mondot, St-Émilion Grand Cru
Château Mangot, Distique 12, St-Émilion Grand Cru
Château Le Rey, Les Rocheuses, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château L’Évangile, Blason de L’Evangile, Pomerol
See the best Bordeaux 2020 second wines
The following wines have all been scored 93 points and above.
See also
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so farRead Jane Anson’s full Bordeaux 2020 en primeur verdictBest Bordeaux 2020 wines: top-scorers
Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Clear gunsmoke character with slate and graphite, also a ton of white peach, white pear, some sweet mango and a scrape of salinity on the...
2020
Château MargauxBordeaux Blanc
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Really perfumed, lovely rose and violet notes on the nose, floral, aromatic and expressive. Supple, round and quite tense, this has a buzzy energy to...
2020
Château Ducru-BeaucaillouSt-Julien
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Fragrant white flowers, touches of lime blossom and slate-filled citrus. The acidity is fresh, but this is more about texture, and it is extremely successful....
2020
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Margaux, Pavillon Rouge, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Liquorice and aniseed tinged blackcurrants on the nose, very medicinal, deep, heady, perfumed too but softly scented, more savoury and spiced. Smooth and supple, fully...
2020
Château MargauxMargaux
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de la Mission, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty...
2020
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Ausone, Chapelle d'Ausone, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This has a beautifully nuanced yet deep flavour, showing the tight pared-back salinity and juice of limestone alongside fleshy blackberry fruits. There are firm but...
2020
Château AusoneSt-Émilion
Château Palmer, Alter Ego, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Devilishly charming on the nose, deep and seductive, expressive and richly scented. Juicy and succulent but with a richness in terms of texture and depth....
2020
Château PalmerMargaux
Château Léoville Las Cases, Le Petit Lion, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Powerful and concentrated, this is just so tasty with plenty of fine grained tannins, but also the depth and width of a lovely Petit Lion....
2020
Château Léoville Las CasesSt-Julien
Château Calon-Ségur, Marquis de Calon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Another strong wine in the Calon-Ségur stable this year, showing depth and clarity of flavour. No getting around the concentration in the tannins, well balanced...
2020
Château Calon-SégurSt-Estèphe
Château Cos d'Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A strong buy signal from me in this vintage, far less serious and intellectual than the main estate white, this is perky and delicious and...
2020
Château Cos d'EstournelSt-Estèphe
Château Lafleur, Les Pensées de Lafleur, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This has the physicality of tannins right up front, a clear signature of the vintage, but nothing is heavy or bitter, rather they exert a...
2020
Château LafleurPomerol
Château L'Eglise-Clinet, Petite Eglise, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Noemie and Constance Duranou now in charge, with Noemie winemaker alongside Olivier Gautrat. This is rich and ripe led by raspberry fruits on the nose,...
2020
Château L'Eglise-ClinetPomerol
Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark fruits on the nose with purple violet floral reflections, milk chocolate and cocoa touches give hints of savoury complexity on the nose. Pumped, alive...
2020
Château LatourPauillac
Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A serious Petit Mouton, with inky depths to the colour, and plenty of tannic hold and bite, with a lovely bitter chocolate brownie feel that...
2020
Château Mouton RothschildPauillac
Château Pichon Baron, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark and heady on the nose, richly fruited and perfumed, smells serious and deep and totally inviting with dark chocolate, coffee and mocha notes with...
2020
Château Pichon BaronPauillac
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Le Petit Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is laden with cassis and bilberry - Cabernet dominant, with clearly defined muscles. Juicy and elegant, I love this, it is less approachable now...
2020
Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, C de Carmes, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Smells rich with perfumed blackcurrants. Clean and crisp on the palate, a smooth and silky texture but with crunchy and bright, almost sharp fruit -...
2020
Château Les Carmes Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval Rouge, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A huge amount of density and grip, the tannins close in from the first moment and it needs some time to get past the intense...
2020
Château Cheval BlancSt-Émilion
Château Canon, Croix Canon, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is an excellent second (from a separate plot) wine, bright, poised and delicious. Fruit ripeness is just at the point where it is teetering...
2020
Château CanonSt-Émilion
Château Troplong Mondot, Mondot, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Milk chocolate, violets, roses, lots of vibrant floral aromas with blue and red fruit. Super-fresh and vibrant, a crystalline and finessed aspect to the...
2020
Château Troplong MondotSt-Émilion
Château Mangot, Distique 12, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Freres Todeschini's special cuvée from specific plots in the vineyard, majority Cabernet (Franc and Sauvignon), all aged in amphora - an insight into all the...
2020
Château MangotSt-Émilion
Château Le Rey, Les Rocheuses, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Bright, blueberry fruit and well-sculpted tannins to ensure vertical lift of the fruit through the glass. I love what the Vignobles K team have been...
2020
Château Le ReyCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château L'Évangile, Blason de L'Evangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A little austere, this is more concentrated than some years of Blason, with Cabernet Sauvignon that was particularly small-berried and intense going in here rather...
2020
Château L'ÉvangilePomerol