You Get What You Pay For, M. Chapoutier Belleruche Rose 2013, Cotes du Rhone Disappoints Big Time!

Normally, I'm a huge Cotes-du-Rhone enthusiast, and I generally encourage people to drink them because they are amazing values and made with forgiving grapes like Syrah and Grenache.  Sometimes even a cheap CdR tastes cheap - that's what happened here in this out of balance M. Chapoutier Belleruche Rose.

I know that this wine was only $10.99 (and discounted 15% because it was a part of a mixed case) but it was pretty disappointing.   The nose was lackluster, and the finish was weak - but that's not what made me not enjoy this wine; it was the burning alcohol on the finish that made it taste unpleasant and oddly like some kind of a rose vodka.

The Chapoutier website claims that this is primarily Grenache with a little Syrah and Cinsault.  It was just not tasty.  Plus side - I saved calories by not drinking wine.  Down side - I didn't drink wine tonight. If you only have $10 to spend - grab one of the rosados from Spain that I've reviewed.  Otherwise, just grab a couple of vodka nips.

The Verdict --   FAIL!
color: pretty rosy pink w/ touch of purple
nose: faint watermelon and strawberry, wet stone
palate: strawberry - burning tart strawberry, sour watermelon belts - overwhelming alcohol
price: $10.99
pairing: I had this with some turkey meatballs, and after the first couple of sips I switched over to seltzer water.

NY State of Rose, Martha Clara Northern Solstice 2012, Long Island, NY

I enjoyed this Long Island rosé that was given as a gift to our adopted aunt and uncle; Linda and Gene Brody (they are also our bridge partners) I will also add that Linda is recovering from knee replacement surgery and refrained from taking any pain pills so she could enjoy a glass (or two) of this rosé with me! How is that for dedication!

I couldn't find any information about the grape varietal.
It only says Dry Rosé.  Martha Clara is on the North Fork of Long Island, so I am going to take a wild guess and say that its a rosé of Merlot.  The style was dry and pleasant, and crisp - nudging toward a Provencal style.  It is a 2012, and although it's about a year behind where most current rosés are - there was still a lot of tart strawberry and cranberry as well as some zippy acidity to still give good life to this wine.

Now, if some of my friends are still reading at this point, I'm going to blow your mind and give you a wee bit of background info on Martha Clara.  It's named for... wait for it... matriarch Martha Clara ENTENMANN!!  That's right, one of their sons bought an old potato farm and basically turned it into a horse heaven, and then succumbed to what his neighbors were doing and transformed the farm into vineyards in the mid-90's.  I wonder if this rosé would pair well with powdered donuts or pound cake... probably!

The Verdict
Color: pinky salmon (looks pinker than it really was in this picture)
Nose: faded strawberry, cranberry
Palate: crisp, mineral driven with tart red plum and strawberry
Price: unknown - approx $15.99
Pairing: We had this with a plain pie from the 70th street and Broadway pizzeria.  Pretty great.  It also cut right through the garlic knots in a very refreshing way!

www.marthaclaravineyards.com