There are a lot of reasons for the world to be glad that Emmanuel Macron trounced Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election last weekend.
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The world celebrated Macron’s resounding win, The Guardian newspaper in Britain reported, because France stood strong against a destabilizing “tide of populism after the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s victory in the US election.”
But we’re here to talk about wine, not politics, and Macron’s win appears to be good news for wine lovers in France and around the world, too. Decanter, Britain’s respected wine journal, reported this week that Macron appears to be not only a wine lover but a skilled enthusiast with serious blind-tasting skills.
This is important, Decanter points out, because one recent president of France, Nicholas Sarkozy, was a teetotaler and actively antagonistic to France’s world-leading wine industry, while another, Jacques Chirac, famously preferred beer to wine. The last president who actively supported French wine as an export industry was François Mitterrand, who left office in 1995.
French President-elect Emmanuel Macron noses a glass in a Terre de Vins video.
There’s hope for Macron, Decanter writer Laura Seal wrote on May 9. “Macron has shown knowledge of France’s wine heritage. In the run-up to the election, French magazine Terre de Vins filmed a candid series of videos with the newly elected French president … in which he shows off his blind tasting skills and declares ‘wine is an ambassador’ for the country.” Here’s a link to the Terre de Vins article and videos (in French).
Macron correctly identified two of three unidentified samples: a Bordeaux Blanc and a Côteaux d’Aix en Provence rosé. His only miss came in identifying a Château Pape-Clément 2005 as being from Pauillac, not Pessac-Léognan. (I don’t know that I could do better. How about you?)
Still, the article concluded, “Macron will need to work hard if he is to appeal to winemakers who voted for Le Pen, and to find favour with supporters and abstainers in an industry that has often complained of being un-loved in recent years. French parliamentary elections in June will be an interesting first test of confidence in him.”
This report makes me wish I had some French tastings to report this week. Maybe next time! For now, let’s celebrate a couple of good red-wine values – a delicious Austrian Zweigelt in a liter bottle, and a surprisingly good Chianti for just 10 bucks. My tasting reports are below.
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The wines they feature are typically handcrafted in very limited amounts, and in many cases, they are down to their last few cases (or bottles!) of each, so please shop early for the best selection.
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Today’s Tasting Reports
Berger 2014 Zweigelt ($16.99/1 liter)
Tasted for our Wine Focus for May 2017, Wines of Austria, here’s a popular Austrian red that I’ve enjoyed in several vintages. While past bottlings have been labeled from the Kremstal region, this label claims only “Lower Austria.” Nevertheless, it is very similar in style to the 2013 bottling reported last August. It’s a clear ruby color, not too dark, almost transparent at the edge with bright crimson glints against the light. Red-berry and tart cherry aromas fill the glass, giving way to tart cranberry fruit on the palate, mouth-watering acidity and just a whiff of soft tannins in a very long finish. U.S. importer: Skurnik Wines, NYC., a Terry Theise Estate Selection. (April 29, 2017)
FOOD MATCH: It went very well with garlicky, fennel-scented sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Its food-friendly acidity would fare well against a broad range of fare, from burgers and hot dogs at a summer picnic to pork chops, ham, or cheese dishes.
WHEN TO DRINK: It’s not a long-term keeper, but the beer-bottle-type crown cap on earlier vintages has given way to a sturdy metal screw cap, which may provide greater protection over two or three years.
VALUE:
$12 average U.S. retail on Wine-Searcher.com, but prices vary widely around the country, all the way from $13 to $19, so it’s worth shopping around. Still, with this liter bottle containing fully one-third more than a standard bottle, it’s a very good value even in the middle to upper teens.
WEB LINK
Here’s an importer’s fact sheet on Weingut Erich & Maria Berger. This page offers links to all the Berger wines, including the 2014 and 2016 Zweigelt.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Berger Zweigelt on Wine-Searcher.com
Querceto 2015 Chianti ($10.99)
Clear, dark ruby, shading to a clear edge. Typical Chianti aromas, tart cherries and dried cherries and a hint of spice, carrying over on the palate in a bright, food-friendly flavor, palate-cleansing acidity and soft tannins, with refreshing black-cherry flavors and lemon-squirt acidity lingering in a very long finish. 12.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Prestige Wine Imports LLC, NYC. (May 7, 2017)
FOOD MATCH: Basic Chianti, stereotypical food match: It was very good indeed with spaghetti with a mushroom and tomato sauce. It would be just as good with meat sauce or meatballs.
WHEN TO DRINK: There’s no rush, but simple Chianti isn’t designed for the long haul. I’d drink it up in the next year or two while its cherry fruit and snappy acidity are fresh and appealing.
VALUE:
My local price is close to the $10 average U.S. retail on Wine-Searcher.com. A few vendors have it as low as $8, but at any point below $10 or so, it makes sense to load up.
WEB LINK
Importer Prestige Imports offers this info sheet on the winery, with links to its various bottlings including the Querceto Chianti.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Look for vendors and compare prices for Querceto Chianti on Wine-Searcher.com.
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