M. Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Belleruche Rouge 2010 Southern Rhone, France

Tasting:          Date: October 03, 2012

Varietal:         Red Blend (80% Grenache, 20% Syrah)

Country:         France

Tasting Date Price:  $13.99

Rating:  WS 88

Alcohol Content:  14%

Vineyard Website:   http://belleruchewines.com/

 

Visual Aspect: Garnet red

Nose:  Red fruits, mainly cherries, and spices, with licorice and grey pepper

Palate:  red currant, cherry and plum flavors, laced with lavender

Food Pairing:  Roast chicken & pork, grilled and roast lamb

 

Chapoutier’s Belleruche Rouge (Red) is made from roughly 80% Grenache (the grape variety used primarily in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south) and 20% Syrah (the grape used to make the Rhône valley’s most famous red wines in Côte Rôtie, Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage, and St Joseph to the north). Michel loves to serve this wine at Sunday lunch: it’s perfect balance of natural fruit flavors from the Grenache and the structure, spiciness, and gentle tannins from the Syrah make it an excellent pairing for a wide variety of dishes, from roast chicken and pork to grilled and roast lamb (the ideal pairing).

After handpicking at the peak of ripeness, extended maceration (up to 15 days) and natural fermentation give this wine its rich color and mouthfeel, freshness on the nose, and red berry fruit and structure in the mouth.

Winery notes: The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier’s great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l’Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed — rightly — that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers’ already legendary estate.

Winemakers Notes:  Chapoutier Belleruche Rouge is a great introduction to one of the world’s most celebrated wine appellations: the Côtes-du-Rhône region. This wine is garnet red in color. On the nose, aromas of red fruits, mainly morello cherries, and spices, like licorice and grey pepper. This wine has a great structure with firm and silky tannins.

Vineyard Notes: The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier’s great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l’Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed — rightly — that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers’ already legendary estate.