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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Other, France 2015 (750mL)
$149.00
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SommSelect

Domaine Gérard Raphet, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Yes, it’s true that the 2015 version of Gérard Raphet’s Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a richer, more readily accessible wine in its youth than the 2014 (which we offered earlier this year). However, in a year in which many producers released darker, denser and almost atypically lush wines, Raphet crafted a 2015 with power, no doubt, but also a sense of decorum.
My first instinct is still to cellar this wine, not gulp it all down immediately (well, maybe a bottle or two), and while it may indeed peak sooner than the ’14, it’s still a classically structured Grand Cru red Burgundy—exactly what I’d expect from this resolutely old-school, artisanal house. By this point in SommSelect’s nearly four-year history, we’ve offered nearly the entirety of Raphet’s lineup, because the wines speak in such a soulful, dignified voice. Of course you can drink it now. You won’t be able to help yourself. But we can offer up to 6 bottles of this small-production bottling until it sells out, which means you can save some for later. It will be so worth it, believe me.
There’s no denying the appeal of a property like Raphet’s, the ultimate in ‘farmstead’ winemaking: passed down through multiple generations and boasting stands of 100-year-old Pinot Noir vines, this is still a tiny operation, with a simple cellar underneath the family home. Gérard Raphet, who took over the domaine from his father in 2005, manually works the vines with the help of his wife, Sylviane, and their daughter, Virginie. Theirs is the old-school lutte raisonnée, or ‘reasoned fight,’ approach—a methodology that calls for only organic products in the vineyards, unless under extreme circumstances in difficult vintages. With this in mind, Gérard and his team use traditional cultivation methods and harvest only by hand. The grapes undergo strict sorting before fermentation with natural yeasts, and then the wines are put in French oak barrels (roughly 15% new) for between 12 to 18 months. Based in Morey-Saint-Denis, the Raphet domaine extends throughout the Côte de Nuits, with about 12 hectares in vineyards spread across Morey, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Chambolle-Musigny.

Just downslope from the “Le Chambertin” Grand Cru in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, “Charmes” is said to have a slight northern tilt to its easterly aspect, resulting in wines that are marginally less sun-exposed (and therefore less intense) than some of its Grand Cru neighbors. Gevrey-Chambertin in general produces some of the burliest versions of Burgundy Pinot Noirs, and while this wine has a firm structure, there’s also a level of lift and refinement that reflect the conventional wisdom regarding this site. Raphet farms four separate parcels in the vineyard, and created an exceptionally balanced, perfumed bottling from the site in 2015.

In the glass, the 2015 Raphet Charmes-Chambertin is a dark garnet-red, deeper in color than is typical for this producer but nowhere near the inkiness of some ’15s. The aromas are deep and perfumed, with notes of black and red cherry, black and red raspberry, persimmon, underbrush, black tea, mushroom, and crushed rocks. You can feel an extra layer of extract on the palate, which lends accessibility although the wine is still tightly wound and in need of air/age. If you are opening a bottle soon, decant it at least an hour before serving in large Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. It’s a wine that makes you want to fast-forward in time to about 2022, when it should be entering its peak drinking window, but try to be patient—it will reward your restraint. Pair it with a rich, well-sauced protein and let it work its magic. This is a serious red wine that will improve in the glass, so take it slow—and don’t hesitate to re-visit it on day two (if any makes it that long). Enjoy!

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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceCharmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
'Lutte Raisonée'
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
French Oak (15% New)
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
60-90 Minutes
Pairing
Duck Breast w/ Cherries & Port Sauce

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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