The Wonderful World of Chapoutier in Côtes du Rhône

I never turn down a chance to drink/taste/write about wines from the Côtes du Rhône. They are some of the most gorgeous, easy-drinking wines from France. So when I found out the French Winophiles were discussing this beautiful wine region in the South of France this month, I knew I had to participate. While some of my fellow Winophiles received samples, I went to the LCBO to grab a couple of my go-to (i.e. affordable!) Côtes du Rhône wines from well-known producer M. Chapoutier.

Introduction to M. Chapoutier

Originally founded in 1808 as “Calvet et Compagnie”, M. Chapoutier is a huge winemaking enterprise that has been in the world of wine for over 200 years. Marcel Chapoutier joined the wine export company in 1897, and in 1922 changed the name to “Chapoutier and Compagnie”. Today, the company owns vineyards and estates all over France and around the world.

In France, Chapoutier has vineyards across nearly all 250 km of the Côtes du Rhône (North and South) as well as in Provence, Alsace, Beaujolais, Burgundy and Roussillon. Speaking of Roussillon, if you ever get a chance to try a wine from their Domaine de Bila-Haut (particularly the Occultum Lapidem vineyard), do not hesitate. Those wines are delicious.

In 1998, Chapoutier began expanding their winemaking empire outside of France, purchasing their first estate in Australia. Then in 2007, vines were purchased in Portugal, and in Spain in 2016.

Michel Chapoutier, wine pioneer and trailblazer

With great winemaking power comes great responsibility. And Michel Chapoutier is just the person to take this responsibility seriously. In 1990, he took over his grandfather’s company at the young age of 26, and started converting the vineyards to biodynamic agriculture. This self-taught self-starter with the utmost respect for nature firmly believed that biodynamic farming would help bring the soil to life and let the terroirTerroir is essentially the geographical, environmental and climatic elements of grape-growing (that allow the same grape grown in two different places to make two completely distinct wines). Here is a non-exhaustive... speak through the wines. And he was right. Ever since, he’s become a bit of a legend in the wine world, championing biodynamic practices and biodiversity in vineyards and fighting to convince fellow winemakers that synthetic and chemical sprays aren’t required to make great wine. While his methods may be seen as unorthodox or unconventional by some, there’s no denying that he is revolutionizing wine growing and winemaking.

Chapoutier for the people

Not only is Michel Chapoutier making a difference from a grape-growing perspective, he is making a difference from a customer-facing perspective as well. Chapoutier wants to snuff out the snobbery associated with the wine world and help democratize wine, making it accessible to more people. Perhaps this is why all his labels are written in braille. In addition to being in honour of Maurice Monier de la Sizeranne—inventor of the first version of abridged braille and whose family used to own one of Chapoutier’s plots—it ensures that people who are visually impaired are able to read the information on all the Chapoutier wine labels.

In order to get high-quality wines into more people’s hands, Chapoutier makes every effort to make his wines affordable. And that’s where the Belleruche line comes in.

Chapoutier Belleruche: a gateway to the Côtes du Rhône

Chapoutier says that making affordable high-quality wines is one of his most difficult tasks. But he’s clearly succeeded with the Belleruche line. Both the red and the white come in at under $17 at the LCBO, and are often on sale. While they may not come from Chapoutier’s biodynamic vineyards, at such relatively low prices, these gorgeous wines are the perfect introduction to the Côtes du Rhône region.

Belleruche literally means “beautiful beehive”, and is a nod to the many bees found in the Chapoutier vineyards and the important role they play in the vineyard’s sustainable ecosystem.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône white

This wine may seem familiar to some of you, since it was one of the wines we tasted earlier this year at a Wining with Mel Happy Hour. The notes below are for the 2019 vintage. Note that the 2020 is now being sold in stores, so there may be slight differences between the two.

🍇 This delicious blend is made of typical Côtes du Rhône grapes: grenache blanc, roussanne, viognier, clairette and bourboulenc. Each grape contributes sometimes unique to this wine.

👁️ Pale, bright golden yellow.

👃 Notes of apple, pear, butter, lemon and a hint of stonefruitA hoity-toity way of saying peach or apricot..

👄This medium-bodied white has a smooth, rich texture from spending 5 months on fine leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur..., and gorgeous fruit and floral notes of apricot, golden delicious apple, pear, lemon, orange blossom, iris, honey. This is a complex and elegant wine.

🍽️ The question is: what WON’T this wine go with?! Perfect for grilled fish, chicken, charcuterie/cheese plate (delicious with smoked cheddar!), olives and even just chips. The perfect house white.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône red

🍇 Blend of two of the three main Côtes du Rhône red grapes: grenache and syrah.

👁️ Dark garnet red.

👃 Stick your nose in the glass and you will be met with a blast of ripe fruit, like blackberry, black cherry and raspberry, with a hint of black pepper (from the syrah).

👄 OH YUM. This is the epitome of Nana’s juice (this is what wine is called in our house when our grandson is about). Rich, juicy, mouthwatering and brimming with red fruit. It’s medium-bodied, unoaked, high in alcohol (14.5%!), and dry (4 g/L), with smooth tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in....

🍽️ We cracked this open on the boat (thanks to the screwcap!). My aunts were visiting from Montreal, and it was a steaming hot evening, so we took the boat out and anchored for an evening swim and supper on the river. I had made a shrimp pesto pasta salad, and my aunties brought this bottle. I was skeptical about this pairing, but it worked really nicely. This is another go-with-anything, food-friendly wine.

What’s your favourite Côtes du Rhône wine? Have you tried a wine from Chapoutier before? Let me know in the Comments below!

Happy wining!

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If you read this in time, the Winophiles are getting together over on Twitter on Saturday, September 18 at 11 a.m. EST to discuss all things Côtes du Rhône. Feel free to get in on the conversation using the hashtag #winophiles! In the meantime, check out what the other Winophiles sipped on this month:

• Jeff from Food Wine Click! thinks we should Embrace the Base of the Côtes du Rhône Pyramid.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences suggests we Sip Wine from the Côtes-du-Rhône… then Visit the Rhône Valley.
• Cathie of Side Wino Hustle says OMGigondas!
• Terri of Our Good Life tells you What You Need to Know about Côtes du Rhône Wines.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Assembling an End of Summer Cheeseboard with Domaine Chamfort Sablet La Pause Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019.
• Robin of Crushed Grapes Chronicles talks about Côtes du Rhône & Côtes du Rhône Villages – a plethora of flavors to pair with!
• David of Cooking Chat shares Grilled Sirloin Steak and Côtes du Rhône.
• Jen of Vino Travels takes us on A Journey Through the Cotes du Rhone.
• Jane of Always Ravenous shares Cote du Rhone Wines: Tasting and Pairing.
• Nicole of Somm’s Table says Bring on the Côtes du Rhône.
• Katrina of The Corkscrew Concierge explains Why You Should be Drinking White Rhône Wines.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass introduces us to Red, White and Pink-The Colors of Côtes du Rhône Wine.
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares Côtes du Rhône and Perfect Fried Rice.
• Jill of L’Occasion is Feeling Satisfied with Côtes du Rhône.
• Susannah of Avvinare shares A Fresh Look at the Côtes du Rhône.
• Liz of What’s in That Bottle? declares Côtes du Rhône Offers Fancy, French & Affordalicious Wines.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley considers White, Red, Rosé? Côtes du Rhône Wines Paired with Squash Soufflé, Instant Pot Cassoulet.
• Payal of Keep the Peas discusses Everyday Wines from the Côtes du Rhône.
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares A Month’s Worth of Celebrations with Côtes du Rhône.