We have long been versed with the wines of the Raphet’s family, from the time when Gerard’s father, Jean Rafe, was at the reins. Our gatherings could only be called tastings with a spread — most often we moved from the cellar directly to the kitchen, where, together with the household, we opened some kind of rough vintage, from a bottle without a label, which only his scrawls on the glass itself helped the elder Raphet to identify. You will be surprised, but almost all Raphet are self-taught in the fourth generation (the only exception is Marion Raphet, which will be discussed below), none of them even thought about bitting enology granite. In family, everything bases on tradition, direct practical experience and the transfer of knowledge from father to son (and in the case of Gerard, to his daughter Marion). No teachings and numbers, just your own example: go to bed when the last barrel is checked, get up with the first roosters, and the whole story will be told by complex, externally uncertain wines, each of which is a huge range of data accumulated over decades. Gerard Raphet took over the reins of the farm in 2005, today Marion, a certified oenologist, has joined in with might and main to daily check the well-being of barrels and wines. She is a little more communicative than her father, and speaks much better English, but still, the main storyteller at the tasting table is pinot noir, which, depending on the circumstances, can be 10, 20, or even 30 years old. Gérard Raphet (et Fille?) wines have a place of honor in my domes, and we’re sure you’ll give them the same place in your cellar. Kermit Lynch is a visit to Raphet’s. It is always a pure pleasure and a fete for organoleptics, but don’t expect the information from the owners.

Gerard is a great silent man (when it is not a matter of discussing the wine itself), his daughter, in comparison with him is a model of eloquence, although in the common sense she is also a meager person with words. We were lucky — the tasting took place in a new room, airy and bright, unlike the old cellar. Marion Raphet assured us that she is not going to change anything in a global sense, but it seems that she is a little hypocritical or that changes take place regardless of her desire. If you are an enthusiastic manifold, then you have nothing to worry about — it’s not about changing the style of the house, but rather about the little things. It is possible that the source is actually global warming, as the grain of the latest vintages looks more luxuriant, the tannins are more ripe, and the wines are perhaps more refined. Or maybe Marion, armed with an oenological education, simply chose her own way and follows her principles. In any case, the nearest future must provide an answer to this question. Roscoe wine trading company, American importer of Gerard Raphet wines.