From: Burgundy, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste: In the glass, the bouquet reveals an intense combination of fresh, juicy red fruits, autumn leaves, baking spice, cloves, and more red berries. You’ll find red fruits like brambly raspberry, pomegranate, and cherry. Upon the first sip, flavors of pomegranate jam, blood oranges, and red cherries are balanced by baking spice and a forest-floor undertone. The wine's complexity is perfectly balanced by a lively acidity and supple tannins, culminating in a lingering, elegant finish.
Pairing: The versatility of the 2021 Gérard Raphet Bourgogne Les Grands Champs Rouge makes it an ideal companion for a wide range of dishes. Classic pairings include roast pork or chicken, delicately spiced dishes, and various charcuterie options, such as saucisson sec, paté, rillettes, and terrines.
For a taste of France, consider pairing this wine with Epoisses cheese, a creamy mustard sauce over chicken or rabbit, or a hearty mushroom bourguignon. From the Mediterranean, couscous and tagine dishes work beautifully with this wine, as do game animals, such as venison or wild boar, from European forests.
Vegetarian options that complement the 2021 Gérard Raphet Bourgogne Les Grands Champs Rouge include mushroom stroganoff, featuring earthy mushrooms in a rich, creamy sauce, and seared sesame-crusted tofu with an Asian-inspired glaze. Peas, a surprisingly harmonious pairing, can be incorporated into dishes like pea and porcini mushroom risotto or a spring-themed pasta with peas (we’re sharing a recipe inspired by this note below!).
Spring Pasta Bolognese With Lamb and Peas
By Kay Chun
About. The prestigious Domaine Gérard Raphet, established in the 1920s, is nestled in the heart of Burgundy's Morey-Saint-Denis region. Winemaker Gérard Raphet has crafted a captivating 2021 Bourgogne Les Grands Champs Rouge that has Burgundy enthusiasts eagerly anticipating its release.
Vineyards and Winemaking. The Les Grands Champs vineyard is located in Gevrey-Chambertin, southwest of the village proper. Surrounded on three sides by village-level Gevrey vineyards, the 40+-year-old Pinot Noir vines thrive in soils composed of red clay and silt. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented on indigenous yeasts in tanks before being aged in older French oak barrels for 18 months.
Terroir. The terroir of the 2021 Gérard Raphet Bourgogne Les Grands Champs Rouge, primarily composed of red clay and silt, plays a vital role in shaping the unique taste and flavors of this exceptional wine.
The vineyard's topsoil, consisting mostly of red clay and silt, supports the root system of the vines, including the feeding network. This particular composition provides an ideal medium for wine grape growth, as the vines require a relatively thin topsoil, easily penetrable and well-drained subsoil, and good water retention capacity. The vine's need for moisture access and well-drained soils is perfectly met by the Les Grands Champs terroir.
The temperature potential, heat-retaining capacity, and heat-reflective characteristics of the soil impact the ripening period of the grapes. In this case, the red clay falls between warm and cold soils, providing a balanced temperature for grape ripening. This balance enables the grapes to develop their characteristic flavors and aromas.
The vineyard's terroir also influences the mineral content in the resulting wine. Minerals such as nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium are crucial for the vine's growth and ultimately shape the wine's taste profile. The red clay and silt soils of Les Grands Champs vineyard are rich in these essential minerals, which contribute to the wine's intense flavors and aromas.
