Chinese enthusiasm for Bordeaux is extending into bottles from the region's less-heralded vineyards, it has been suggested.

For some time, Chinese wine enthusiasts have been snapping up bottles of top First Growth Bordeaux, including cases of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Latour.

However, this interest has driven prices upwards - particularly for the highly rated en primeur releases of the 2009 and 2010 vintages.

Now leading Bordeaux negociants say that Asian investors are looking for bargains from the region's smaller estates.

Philippe Larche of Vintex told Decanter that wines like the Fifth Growths Croizet-Bages and Pedesclaux from Pauillac, or Cantemerle of Medoc, are selling well in China, pushing prices higher.

CVBG managing director Mathieu Chadronnier has also noticed this trend, with a particular demand for Belgrave.

However, Chadronnier is keen to stress that this is not a collapse of the market for First Growth Bordeaux, merely a correction.

He told the publication: "We have gone through a period of constant growth. Prices can't go on increasing forever – this correction was needed.

"It may be tempting to say there is no more demand for the super-top wines, and the Chinese are turning their interest to the cheaper wines, but it is not as clear and dramatic as that."

His comments come after a recent Sotheby's sale in Hong Kong saw lots of Bordeaux returned unsold for the first time since the auction house began operations in Asia.

At the time, Sotheby's worldwide head of wine Serena Sutcliffe said that interest in Second Growth wines is increasing as the knowledge base in China broadens.

Christie's head of wine for China Simon Tam agrees that this is a natural evolution of the market in Asia.

"The first generation of wine lovers to discover Lafite now have long-lasting stock and they don't need to accumulate more," he said.