Domaine Gerard Raphet Clos De Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru

Domaine Gérard Raphet Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is a monumental French red wine of exceptional depth, concentration, and historic character. While the estate’s standard Grand Cru bottling is already sourced from old vines, this specific Vieilles Vignes designated cuvée focuses heavily on the family's oldest centenarian plots—with vines ranging from 60 to over 100 years of age—primarily located within the prized Les Grands Maupertuis climat near the top of the wall. Here, the roots drill deep through thin limestone soils into the bedrock. In the glass, it pours the producer’s signature translucent, delicate ruby-red color. The nose is incredibly intense and noble, opening with an aromatic bouquet of wild blackberries, ripe cherries, and pomegranate, intricately layered with notes of warm baking spices, turned earth, forest floor, and a hint of dark tobacco. On the palate, this medium-to-full-bodied masterpiece displays a sapid, dense fruit core effortlessly balanced by a vibrant, racy acidity. Matured for 18 months in older French oak barrels (with only about 15% new oak) and bottled unfined and unfiltered, its fine-grained, chalky tannins provide an imposing, tightly knit structure that drives through to an incredibly long, savory, and mineral-driven finish.

Food Pairing: This powerful and highly structural Grand Cru pairs magnificently with traditional duck confit, slow-roasted venison loin with a wild berry reduction, classic coq au vin, wild mushroom and black truffle risotto, or rich, mature French cheeses like Époisses and long-aged Comté.