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Le Vin de MerdeActually, it is a gag, a means to attract attention in the unbelievably large offer of wines in the Languedoc. "Wein vom Scheisshaufen" or just "Scheisswein", one can hardly pronounce this in German, nor in French. The subtitle is of little help: "Le pire ... cache le meilleur" (roughly: The bad hides the good) - a philosophical saying, which - if you think about it - contains quite a lot of truth. Jean Marc Speziale - a former gastronome and (as he says himself Epicurean - follower of the Greek philosopher Epicurus) caused a sensation with his provocative creation as early as five years ago and - as the reaction shows - hit the mark. His wine philosophy is understood: "It obviously needs this provocation to overcome prejudices, because our region (Languedoc) has long been considered as a region where bad wines are made. This is no longer the case. Our winemakers have made great progress, they have done remarkable work to improve the quality of their wines. But many of the prejudices have remained" (freely translated).

The daring concept of provocation seems to work. Instead of pompous words about vintage, terroir, grape varieties, vinification - which is only understood by wine specialists anyway - he puts a philosophical idea into the world (andjm-speziale on the label) and lets the wine speak for itself. That's what matters: if the wine has character, if it's good, if it's sustainable, if it can survive in the wine world... The data sheet for his wines hardly contains any concrete information: "Issu de parcelles sélectonnées à rendements modérées et vendangées manuellement, de vin rouge à la couleur intense surprend par son nez subtil aux arômes de petit fruits rouges. Un vin de garde qualité mais sans complexité et pour le plaiser de tous." It's not much more than that, no grape varieties, no site designation, no appellation... But a wine that should please everyone.

Somehow I find this pleasant. All the technical information is certainly important for producers and specialists, the classification into quality levels and appellations may (if this is true at all) facilitate the orientation of the consumer. In the end, however, what counts - especially when it comes to wine consumption - is what gives pleasure. I try to leave it at that, the grape varieties (it is the Languedoc varieties), the barrel storage (new or old barrels), the yield reduction, etc. disregard. Instead, let the wine do the talking. And it doesn't really say anything about red fruits, about liquorice and garrique, about a long or short finish, a harmonious structure..... It simply says: enjoy! And I have my pleasure, that's enough - isn't it?

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