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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Bourgogne Rouge “Les Grands Champs”

Burgundy, France 2018 (750mL)
$28.00
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Domaine Gérard Raphet, Bourgogne Rouge “Les Grands Champs”

It’s not just the Grand Crus and First Growths and so forth that get us all charged up around here: The arrival of a new release of Gérard Raphet’s humbly priced “Les Grands Champs” is as eagerly awaited as any “allocation” we receive.


As I’ve said before, we’d never offer a wine sight-unseen, but Raphet’s Les Grands Champs has such a track record—and such a rabid following among our subscribers—that I’d consider it. But no need: We got to taste it, we flipped for it (as expected) and we were bestowed a healthy amount to share with you today. Anyone who has written wine lists knows that there are certain wines you need to watch out for when they come around each year—and pounce on once they arrive lest someone else in the queue gets their hands on your parcel. This in one such wine—one of the greatest over-performers in Burgundy, whose label only hints at the excellence inside the bottle. Sourced from a perfectly positioned lieu-dit (named place) vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin, this wine somehow falls outside the line of demarcation for a ‘village’ designation, but make no mistake: Though it’s labeled “Bourgogne Rouge,” this is Gevrey-Chambertin, and an exceptionally good one at that. This ’18 continues Raphet’s hot streak, and those of you who know Raphet know that his are some of the most luxurious red Burgundies out there. 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.


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.



Raphet’s wines are characterized by exceptional concentration and velvety, well-knit tannins, and this sumptuous ’18 is no exception. It boasts a deep ruby core moving to slight garnet and pink reflections at the rim. The nose explodes 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 medium-bodied, 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: Open one now and give it about 45 minutes in a decanter, then serve it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with game birds, pork, even beef—it’s got the guts for it. Pour it alongside the attached recipe on a Tuesday night and you’re living your best life. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceGevrey-Chambertin
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
15% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2028
Decanting
45 Minutes
Pairing
Rosemary-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin

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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