The 2009 Belleruche blanc, which comes principally from Grenache blanc and Marsanne and is aged completely in tank, offers floral and grapefruit notes with some quince and white currant. Light to medium-bodied and fresh, with good fruit and texture, it should drink nicely for another 1-2 years.
Michel Chapoutier remains one of the world’s leading advocates for minimally handled, natural wine from biodynamically farmed vineyards, with SO2 levels kept as low as possible. Of course, his glories, for the most part, are from his family’s holdings in the northern Rhone, and I will have more on them in an upcoming issue. (But a teaser – Chapoutier claims 2009 is the greatest vintage of his lifetime.) He continues to produce a strong group of white and red wines from the southern Rhone, with significant vineyard holdings in Chateauneuf du Pape.
Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900