The Raphet 2008 Clos de la Roche mingles lightly-cooked strawberry and red raspberry; blond tobacco; and mocha on an attractive nose and fine-grained, satisfyingly juicy palate. Salted caramel, red berries and tobacco inform a satisfyingly long finish. I miss the mineral and animal dimensions so often on display from this appellation, but there's a lot to like here, especially if one plans to drink the wine over its first 4-5 years in bottle. Gerard Raphet's 2008s finished malo by the end of the following January, which is amazingly early for this vintage, and not necessarily advantageous. (He suspects the environment of his new facility has something to do with that rapidity.) He bottled them last January. As a group these wines are not particularly dark or youthful in color, nor do they for the most part exhibit the sort of brightness that I associate with their vintage. That said, they are generous and charming, often with attractively-integrated hints of caramelization. Yields were way down in both 2007 and 2008, notes Raphet, though one can hardly attribute any special degree of vinous concentration to this fact. In common with me, Raphet finds his 2007s - which to my surprise held their own vis-a-vis 2008 - ideal for drinking young. Peter Vezan Selections (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93

The Raphet 2007 Clos de la Roche displays a less healthy fruit character than several of its stable mates, and frontal astringency adds to the suspicion that some rot has crept in. That said, the combination of game, forest floor, salt, chalk, and lightly-cooked red and black fruit compote is not without its appeal, and the pungency of ginger in its persistent finish may in fact be reinforced by a touch of botrytis. I would certainly drink this soon (if at all) though. Gerard Raphet's 2008s finished malo by the end of the following January, which is amazingly early for this vintage, and not necessarily advantageous. (He suspects the environment of his new facility has something to do with that rapidity.) He bottled them last January. As a group these wines are not particularly dark or youthful in color, nor do they for the most part exhibit the sort of brightness that I associate with their vintage. That said, they are generous and charming, often with attractively-integrated hints of caramelization. Yields were way down in both 2007 and 2008, notes Raphet, though one can hardly attribute any special degree of vinous concentration to this fact. In common with me, Raphet finds his 2007s - which to my surprise held their own vis-a-vis 2008 - ideal for drinking young. Peter Vezan Selections (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93