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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Vieilles Vignes, Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru

Burgundy, France 2014 (750mL)
$185.00
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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Vieilles Vignes, Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru


Perched in the northern stretch of Morey-Saint-Denis along the Route des Grand Crus, just south of Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche is arguably the greatest Grand Cru of the esteemed village. According to Burgundy guru Clive Coates, “It is the biggest and classiest of the Morey Grand Crus. But the structure has an inherent lushness to it…Ample and classy it certainly is.” Enclosed by an ancient ‘clos’ or rock wall, Clos de la Roche benefits from an eastern aspect and excellent drainage thanks to its incline. At 270-300 meters in elevation, the soils are comprised of Bajocian limestone mixed with clay and limestone rock scree roughly 30 centimeters in depth. The result is a wine with the serious structure of nearby Le Chambertin with the lush fruit and elegance of its neighboring Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru. Raphet’s vines are nestled near the border of Clos Saint-Denis and range in age from 34 to 96 years of age and are kept at very low yields.
 
Gérard Raphet, who took over the Domaine from his father in 2002, manually farms his vineyards with an approach known as “lutte raisonnée,” which literally translates to “the reasoned struggle.” This method utilizes only organic practices in the vineyards unless an emergency arises in extremely difficult vintages. With this in mind, Gérard and his team use traditional cultivation methods and harvest by hand. The grapes undergo strict sorting then are fermented with only indigenous yeasts in tank. The wine is aged for 18 months in no more than 15% new French oak and is bottled without fining or filtration. The result is an aromatically powerful wine of restrained elegance, bolstered structure and a captivating sense of place.
 
The 2014 Clos de la Roche exhibits a garnet red core with light garnet reflections on the rim. Aromas of wild raspberry, black cherry pit, wet roses and crushed flowers are infused with notes of strawberry, red currant, black tea, wet forest, damp leaves, a touch of crushed black rocks and an overarching perfume that will only deepen with a few more years in the cellar. The palate is restrained yet concentrated with a touch of grip on the mid-palate, which is a testament to its infinite aging potential. Fruit flavors reminiscent of the nose are intertwined with additional notes of pomegranate, black cherry, a touch of leather and tobacco as well as wet leaves and underbrush that delineate into a long finish driven by crushed minerals. As I have mentioned, this wine is delicious in its youth, but its true majesty will only begin to shine around its 7-10th birthday with its peak at about 15 years of age. This wine’s amazing intensity is truly worthy of this classic Boeuf Bourguignon on a cool winter evening. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceClos de la Roche Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
20% New French

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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