 |
| A Red and A Rosé |
No I’m not making up the name, although over the years I may
have associated that moniker with a wine or two. Several years ago I poured an entire bottle
of Hungarian wine down the sink. Had a
happy ending. It cleared the drain.
Le Vin de Merde? Was
the vintner dazed from a hard day at the vats? The wine is from Southeast
France, bordering the Mediterranean. The
Languedoc-Roussillon Region. Besides wine, other things that put this treasure
spot on the map are caves, beautiful ancient villages, camping, and the Pyrenees. Makes you want to drag the vintage Jag out of
the garage and go for a spin through granite hewn tunnels and twisting turns of
a mountain road. Or, maybe you prefer to
just sip a wine.
With a name like Le Vin de Merde, you’d expect a snappy
slogan and you’ll not be disappointed: Le pire cache le meilleur = the worst
hides the best. (For English speakers, Lu
peer cash lu may-you’re). You’ll note
from the photos there’s a fly on the label.
Appropriate. Below the label
you’ll find Le Vin des Philosophes,
the wine of Philosophers. Ah, you’re
thinking, must be good shit!
Jean-Marc Speziale, the genius restaurant owner and marketer
behind the brand, got a friend and qualified oenologue to blend wines from the
region, because, as he put it, “I know many
winemakers. I understand their daily problems, and to hear that people continue
to class the wines of our region as ghastly plonk or, worse still, Algerian
drain-cleaner, makes my blood boil. Winemakers around here bend over backwards
to get the very best from their vines.”
Let it be noted they bend over backwards.
You could go on and on with the witticisms. This wine is only served in Le Maison de Ptomaine. They also serve Bière de Pissoir. Don’t
grab your Guide Michelin, I’m joking.
Monsieur Speziale has the last laugh.
His first 5000 bottles in 2008 sold out faster than you could say No Shit! and they have continued to top
the regional charts. So, how did your fortunate
chronicler happen to find a bottle or two, and what did it cost?
Down the street from me, well to be honest, down the
super-fantastic-German-Autobahn, is the quaint country of France. Shortly after you flash across the border,
you’ll find a Super Walmart….hahaha…only kidding. Cora, which could easily be translated as
Super Walmart, except that Cora has a food and wine selection that’s like
having your own private food merchant deliver fresh daily. Cheese varieties by the hundreds. A fish market bigger than many grocery
stores. Yards of fresh bread from an
on-site bakery. Wines by the
thousands. It was there that the name
caught my eye. Opinions of wines vary
greatly, but I’d never seen them expressed so clearly on a label. Six and one half Euros, or a little less than
nine bucks a bottle. I made sure no one
was looking down his Gallic nose at me and grabbed two bottles, a red and a
rosé.
The wife came home, tossed off her coat and scarf, and
collapsed on the couch. I greeted her
joyfully. “Honey, I’ve got some shit
wine for you!”
Enough of the blather. How ‘bout the wine??? Ok, first the red:
Fruity nose. On the
first sip, hints of citrus, and leather.
Smooth finish. This is not a sophisticated wine, meaning no
strong flavors and no heavy tannin. Vin
ordinaire. Didn’t taste what all the
fuss is about. I wouldn’t turn down
another bottle, but I’m not storing a case or two in my cellar.
Now the rosé:
 |
| Great with a soft blue cheese and a fresh baguette |
Pleasantly strong floral nose. Did I smell roses? Makes you want to take another whiff. On the first sip, sour cherries and an oak
finish. This is a wine that could stand
up to roast beef, or be a pleasant sip on the back porch, while you watch your 25
year old neighbor stretch out for some nude sunbathing. Still, it’s not a wine I would stock.
Why would I not especially want more of either of these
wines? Bad stuff? Not at all, but not distinctive either. Creates no cravings, unlike the neighbor. Sipped
with a common comment of “not bad” and then quickly forgotten.
Once again, a master marketer has hit a home run, but for
me, I don’t really care about the final score.
No comments:
Post a Comment