Tuesday, December 23, 2008

$10 Tuesday: White Cotes du Rhone

We've been on the prowl for some good ten dollar wines, and this week's selection is an interesting wine with, an arguably even more interesting website. I knew nothing about this producer when I selected the M. Chapoutier Belleruche other than that it was Côtes du Rhône, and there was Braille on the label. I thought there was probably a story there but, the main selling point was the ten dollar price tag.

It turns out that the Braille has special significance due to the historical connection to Maurice Monier de La Sizeranne, the inventor of the first version of abbreviated Braille. Under a tab labeled "Convictions," we also learn that M. Chapoutier adheres to a "demanding" biodynamic cultivation method.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Vin Blanc

Vintage: 2007
Appellation: Côtes du Rhône
Grape Varieties: hand-harvested White Grenache, Clairette and Bourboulenc
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $10-$12
Aromas: Pear, melon, pineapple, citrus zest
Flavors: mineral, citrus, apple

Summary: Pleasant aromas give way to a nicely balanced wine with full mouthfeel and clean acidity. During dinner, I kept finding my glass empty, and I also noticed that I was refilling it often. Yes, this is a refreshing and tasty wine. All this for ten bucks? How do they do it?!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

sounds like a quite enjoyable wine B. And the braille thing is pretty cool!

cheers and happy holidays!

RJ's Wine Blog said...

just reviewed this wine on my site as it was part of the whole foods top 10 holiday wine list. quite nice. i'll definitely buy another bottle.

good site you have going here. i just blogrolled you on my site - http://rjswineblog.blogspot.com.

cheers!

Taster B said...

Oh, I had no idea! Whole Foods has good taste. :) Was it also around $10 at Whole Foods?

Lisa said...

It would be so helpful if you'd include the vintage year in your review. Thanks.

Taster B said...

oops, oversight. It was a 2007.

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