M.Chapoutier Belleruche Blanc Cote du Rhone 2021, +245340 LCBO, $17.55 NOW on sale at $14.55 (save $3 a bottle) until September 11: "Belleruche" is French for "beautiful beehive". Chapoutier's company, which follows biodynamic principles such as night harvesting, has many beehives scattered throughout their sustainable properties in the Cote du Rhone. This is one of my fave white wines; my wife loves Belleruche Rouge with its grenache noir and syrah, also at the LCBO. The white uses grenache blanc, roussanne, viognier (with some light skin maceration), clairette and bourboulenc grapes, with the first two varieties dominating its vinous character. The nosing is strong, with botrytis-inflected bouquets of voluptuous flowers and aromas of grapefruit, pear, and melon leading to a mid-palate tasting of red fruit and honey (those bees!). On the nose, it seems sweet, but the residual sugar is a low 2 grams per litre. There is a modest acidity but some intense flavours from the wine being aged on its lees for half a year – just perfectly right for a refreshment on a hot summer day on the patio/deck/balcony/terrace/porch/beach etc. Also, some anise on the finish makes this a compelling accompaniment to grilled or poached fish. But do not overchill. It's one of the better values at the LCBO, and made even more so with its temporary price reduction of $3 a bottle. It is certainly worth buying by the case. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
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