First Growth vs Super Second: Is the Premium Justified by Auction Data?
Compare Bordeaux First Growth vs Super Second auction prices from 2021–2026. Does Latour or Mouton justify a 3x premium over Léoville Las Cases or Ducru?
The 1855 classification was a snapshot in time — auction data lets us ask whether First Growths still justify their price premium over the best super seconds.
This comparison covers 1 producers across 1,000 auction lots. Cos d'Estournel commands the highest average prices at $480 per bottle.
Producer Comparison
Average hammer prices per bottle across all vintages, 2021–2025. Lot counts indicate auction liquidity — higher is easier to trade.
Cos d'Estournel
$480
avg / bottle
1,000 lots sold
Year-by-Year Price Comparison
The table below tracks each producer's average price per bottle by year, making it possible to identify which domaines appreciated most during different market conditions. Looking at the most recent year of data: Cos d'Estournel fell 74% in 2026.
| Producer | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total Lots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cos d'Estournel | $122 | $160 | $170 | $144 | $157 | $116 | $232 | $214 | $230 | $234 | $230 | $1,186 | $309 | 1,000 |
Individual Wine Performance
Drilling down to individual wines reveals which specific cuvées and vintages have driven each producer's overall appreciation — and which have lagged. CAGR is calculated from the first year each wine appeared at auction to the most recent.
| Wine | Vintage | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Lots | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2009 | $288 | $325 | $271 | $269 | $3,425 | 59 | 85.7% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2012 | — | — | $125 | $130 | $1,928 | 14 | 292.7% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2008 | $158 | $157 | $156 | $138 | $1,914 | 24 | 86.6% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2000 | $219 | $243 | $207 | $182 | $1,641 | 52 | 65.5% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2005 | $273 | $254 | $247 | $383 | $1,637 | 98 | 56.5% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 1961 | — | — | — | $755 | $1,500 | 3 | 98.7% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1928 | — | — | — | $1,297 | $1,113 | 4 | -14.2% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 1994 | $75 | $118 | — | — | $800 | 8 | 80.7% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 1988 | — | $148 | — | $117 | $765 | 13 | 72.9% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2013 | — | — | — | — | $644 | 13 | — |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1986 | $220 | $211 | $173 | $197 | $637 | 44 | 30.4% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1937 | — | — | — | $625 | — | 1 | — |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2003 | $194 | $177 | $392 | $191 | $615 | 65 | 33.4% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 2006 | $150 | $350 | $153 | $114 | $603 | 26 | 41.6% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 2010 | $204 | $209 | $282 | $229 | $603 | 20 | 31.1% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1982 | $372 | $584 | $322 | $342 | $586 | 70 | -3.6% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 1970 | $219 | $355 | — | $573 | $555 | 20 | 26.2% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1968 | — | — | — | — | $533 | 1 | — |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1990 | $254 | $260 | — | $196 | $528 | 28 | 20.1% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 2005 | $219 | $233 | $248 | $622 | $525 | 35 | 24.4% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 1991 | — | — | — | — | $500 | 1 | — |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1975 | $128 | — | — | — | $499 | 7 | 40.5% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1998 | $132 | — | — | $180 | $445 | 5 | 35.5% |
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien | 2003 | $172 | $147 | $230 | $279 | $437 | 37 | 26.3% |
| Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe | 1955 | — | — | — | — | $415 | 2 | — |
Prices are average hammer prices per bottle. Wines with fewer than 3 lots may show volatile averages.
Key Takeaways
- →Most liquid:: Cos d'Estournel has the highest lot count (1,000 lots), making it the easiest to trade if you need to exit a position quickly.
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