Gerard Raphet Les Grands Champs Bourgogne Rouge 2021

A single vineyard bottling, from 40+-year-old vines in Gevrey-Chambertin will typically set you back $60, even $100+ dollars for a decent bottle from a known producer. This bottle – from one of our favorite, traditional Burgundy producers, for only $31.95 – simply soars above its competition.

The wines of Domaine Gérard Raphet are famously revered for their decidedly old-school style. Their approach to winemaking is quintessentially Burgundian… steeped in history, rooted in tradition, with knowledge and practices handed down for the past century. These wines are delicately extracted, and gently raised, yet born of an intensity of place and spirit. Unconcerned with trends and modern techniques, this is Burgundy as it always was.

Located in Gevrey Chambertin, ‘Les Grands Champs’ is a lieu-dit ("named single vineyard") southwest of the village proper and surrounded on three sides by Cru-classified Gevrey Chambertin vineyards. The soils are rich, even by Gevrey standards, composed of mostly red clay and silt – producing powerful pinot noirs with a darker edge and deep fruit flavors. In 2021, Burgundy was slightly cooler than the previous vintage, and a more elegant and perfumed wine is the happy result. The glass abounds with notes of rose water, hibiscus, cinnamon, and clove, followed by red cherries and pomegranate. A dusty, freshly fallen leaf note adds depth to a pinot noir filled with robust character. Hand-harvested, fermented with native yeast, and aged in mostly (~90%) used barrels, this is a beautifully crafted nod to traditional Burgundy. For a wine at this price point – this is an achievement of depth and complexity – and one that will serve any pinot noir lover quite well over the next five-plus years. If you love pinot, seek no further!