It’s that time of year again: A $32 winning ticket to the Gérard Raphet “Les Grands Champs” sweepstakes—as long as you’re quick enough! Those of you who’ve snagged one of the seven vintages we’ve offered know that the label vaguely hints at the excellence inside the bottle. Truly, it’s not an exaggeration to call this one of Burgundy’s greatest over-performers: Raphet exclusively sources his “Bourgogne Rouge” from a perfectly positioned parcel in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. 

However, this wine somehow falls just outside the demarcation line despite being thrice surrounded by village-level vineyards, so while it’s technically labeled “Bourgogne,” we’ve long since discarded that terminology and now solely label it Gevrey-Chambertin—an exceptionally brilliant one at that. What’s more, Raphet’s made a name for himself by crafting some of the most luxurious Pinots in the Côte de Nuits (his Grand Cru “Clos de la Roche” on offer earlier this year was liquid gold) and this 2019 carries on the tradition in style. The amount of wine for the money here is simply stunning—the wise move would be to grab a case and take your ‘house red’ selection to a new, mind-blowing level. Our allocated amount dwindles each year, and this smoking value has built up a rabid following amongst our subscribers so here’s hoping you’re quick on the draw!

Check out this map; as you can see, the vineyard is surrounded on three sides by Gevrey-Chambertin appellation vineyards—“Pressonnier,” “La Burie” and “Croix de Champs.” How is it possible that this site fell outside the line? If you were to stand in Grand Cru Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and look downhill, Les Grand Champs would be within viewing distance. Often, vineyard sites are left out of appellation labeling for slight differences in elevation, slope, and/or soil composition. With Les Grand Champs, however, my palate distinguishes no difference—this wine is textbook Gevrey-Chambertin, loaded with woodsy aromas, rich flavors, and profound depth.

Though the Raphet winery itself is located in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis, the vineyards for this wine are located about a 10-minute drive north of the estate. Gérard Raphet, who took over the Domaine from his father in 2002, manually works his vines, which are located mostly in the Côte de Nuits. He farms today’s 40-year-old vines with a lutte raisonnée approach, a methodology that is effectively sustainable in its aversion to chemical inputs. This method of farming implies using only organic products in the vineyards, unless under extreme circumstances for difficult vintages. Gérard and his team (which in recent years includes his daughter, Sylviane) use traditional cultivation methods and harvest only by hand. The grapes undergo strict sorting before fermentation with natural yeasts, and his Bourgogne Rouge is put into mostly neutral French oak barrels for 18 months. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Raphet’s wines are characterized by exceptional concentration, sumptuous dark fruit, and velvety tannins. His 2019 “Les Grands Champs” boasts a dark ruby core and, after a 15-minute decant, explodes with spiced plums, black cherry liqueur, redcurrant, licorice, damp moss, pomegranate seed, rose oil, blood orange, cloves, rose petal, and crushed wet stone. It is medium-plus in body with firm structure and iron-like minerality à la Gevrey-Chambertin—but its impressive opulence and heightened freshness is what will win over most of you. As with past vintages of this wine, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for 5+ years. Enjoy!