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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Bourgogne Rouge “Les Grands Champs”

Burgundy, France 2017 (750mL)
$32.00
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SommSelect

Domaine Gérard Raphet, Bourgogne Rouge “Les Grands Champs”

Like children on Christmas morning, everyone at SommSelect eagerly anticipates the annual rollout of Gérard Raphet’s “Les Grands Champs”—one of greatest over-performers in the Bourgogne Rouge category.
Sourced from a well-positioned lieu-dit (named) vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin, this wine somehow falls outside the line of demarcation for a ‘village’ designation, but make no mistake: Though the wine wears a comprehensive “Bourgogne Rouge” label, this is Gevrey-Chambertin, and an exceptionally good one at that. There is a reason this stunningly elegant wine is always a top-selling Burgundy on the site, and today’s 2017 keeps Raphet’s streak alive. This is one of the most concentrated, soil-driven, assertively “Gevrey” expressions of Les Grands Champs we’ve ever tasted, and that’s saying something: This is always much more wine than its appellation or price point would suggest. However, as is always the case with this once-a-year release, quantity is limited—do yourself a favor and grab your share today.
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, 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 then the wines are put in French oak barrels (roughly 15% new) for 18 months, depending on the wine. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

As I noted above, the 2017 is one of the bolder versions of this wine in my memory. It boasts a deep ruby core moving to slight garnet and pink reflections at the rim. The nose bursts forth with black cherry, red currant, fresh plums, underbrush, mixed herbs, damp leaves, pomegranate, rose nectar, purple flowers, crushed chalk, and various baking spices. It is leaning toward medium-plus in body in the ’17 vintage, with impressive structure, minerality, and lots of freshness keeping the wine bright and buoyant. As with past vintages of this wine, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for 5+ years: I’d suggest opening one now and giving it about 45 minutes in a decanter, then serving it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with game birds, pork, even beef. It’s gutsy enough to stand up to dishes like stuffed veal chops, but ultimately, a Burgundy Pinot Noir this good goes with just about anything. You will see, and you’ll be happy to have this wine around—it really is the ultimate overachiever! Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceBourgogne Rouge (Vineyard Abuts Gevrey-Chambertin)
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
15% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
45 Minutes
Pairing
Stuffed Veal Chops

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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