(Wine-Searcher) - Part of a growing trend among classified growths, the highly-rated Pauillac château has launched a new second wine.

Bordeaux’s Château Pichon Baron has unveiled the first vintage of its new second wine, the 2012 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, described as a "spirited younger brother."

The sleek, contemporary packaging echoes the mythical griffins found on Pichon Baron’s coat of arms, just as the Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is reminiscent of the Grand Vin.

Pichon Baron’s technical director Jean-René Matignon describes Les Griffons as "very full, boasting elegant harmony and long-lasting freshness and fruit. The tannins are finely tuned, silky and delicate."

Over the last 15 years, the second wines of Bordeaux’s classified growths have grown increasingly fashionable. They offer the same attention to quality as the main château wine - the "Grand Vin" – but are for drinking younger and cost a fraction of the price.

"Second wines are very important. Not all consumers can buy the Grand Vin, but they trust we make wines of extremely high quality," said communications director Marie-Louise Schyler.

As elsewhere in Bordeaux, the impetus for the second wine was quality.

"Crafting a great wine - one of the world’s finest - requires an uncompromisingly high standard of work on the harvested grapes," said managing director Christian Seely.

The increased focus on the quality of Bordeaux’s Grands Vins, scrutiny from critics and pressure from competitors, pushes vintners to reduce yields and further restrict production by only using the very best vats for the Grand Vin.