Drink This: Mazza Wines 2022 "The Perfect Red"
Perfect? No. But it's still a nice sub-$20 red wine for daily drinking
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If you’re reading this, you know the chambourcin grape. But do you know regent, which is a hybrid that counts chambourcin as one of it’s parents?
Regent was created in Germany in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding. It’s a cross of Diana — itself a Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau cross — with chambourcin. It’s meant for cooler grape-growing regions and is very resistant to downy mildew and other fungal maladies.
Released commercially in 1996, it’s increasingly important in Germany and I’ve seen a handful here in the Eastern United States too, though it’s rarely bottled with “Regent” on the label.
Mazza Wines 2022 "The Perfect Red" ($16*) is 98% regent and 2% merlot and it’s a fruit-forward, easy-drinking red at a good price.
Red cherry and cranberry fruit aromas are layered with subtle notes of black pepper and savory herbs.
The medium-light palate is driven mostly by ripe red cherry flavors with some toastiness at the edges and a light savory herbal quality on the medium-long finish. It’s a low-tannin wine that relies on freshness for structure.
It’s pretty straightforward, but for $16, it delivers solid value.
Mazza Wines 2022 "The Perfect Red"
Region: Lake Erie AVA (Pennsylvania)
Grape(s): 98% regent, 2% merlot
ABV: 12%
TA: 6.7 g/L
pH: 3.41
Production: 590 cases
Rating: 87 pts
Price: $16* (Available Here)
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*sample provided by winery