2000 La Croix de Beaucaillou

Quick swirl

The 2000 Bordeaux vintage is getting rave reviews, but few of us can afford the top wines. Still, you don’t have to miss out. Consider second labels. They may not have the cachet of the real thing, but they don’t have the sticker shock either.

This second label from Ducru-Beaucaillou is scented with violets and cedar. The bright, juicy fruit is nuanced with darker tones. It’s a very pretty wine with silky texture and a dry, lingering finish -- drinking beautifully now. No need to put it away for a decade or two.

--S. Irene Virbila

Region: Bordeaux

Price: About $30

Style: Polished and understated

Food it goes with: The usual: beef, lamb, pork, roast chicken or Cornish hen

Where you find it: Beverage Warehouse in Marina del Rey, (310) 306-2822; Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park, (818) 341-1234; Red Carpet in Glendale, (818) 247-5544; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454; and the Wine House in Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731.