2002 Gerard Raphet Clos de la Roche Cuvee Unique Vieilles Vignes

Gerard Raphet owns or leases 30 acres in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. He officially took over the family domaine in 2002 when his father Jean Raphet retired, although Gerard had been in charge of the vineyards for many years. The domaine includes important Grand Cru parcels in Clos de Vougeot, Charmes Chambertin, Clos de Roche, Charmes Chambertin and Clos de Beze. There are also Premier Cru parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis. Clive Coates has written that the domaine’s wines are often “rich, full, plummy and succulent. Since Gerard has been in command, the yields have been tightened up, and the proportion of new oak increased.”

Clos de la Roche is a 41-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in the Cotes de Nuits, in northern Burgundy. The tiny village of Morey St.-Denis is just south of Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos de Roche is considered the appellation’s most superior Grand Cru. The vineyard’s elevation ranges from 270 to 300 meters, and its soil is extremely rocky with excellent drainage. The soil is largely limestone, and in some places it is barely a foot deep. Writer Clive Coates calls Clos de Roche “the classiest of the Morey Grand Crus.” The largest landholders are Ponsot with 8.35 acres; Dujac, 4.88 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.7 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.